Naruto's Inheritance
by SeaCatSD
Summary: During his three years with Jiraiya Naruto learns the truth about himself and his past, and returns to Konoha determined to change his life. But the village Kunoichi have their own plans, and Naruto finds he still has a few things to learn...
1. Waking Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** This story begins during the time skip about 1 year before the Jiraiya and Naruto return to Konoha. After a training accident Naruto asks Jiraiya some very serious questions and gets some very surprising answers.

**Notes: **This is my first fan fic so please go easy, just having some fun! The original idea was just to be a romantic comedy but the back story turned out so well and got so many compliments that I've constructed a full plot off of it to weave the story around.

Also this is a divergence fic so I try to be faithful to canon up to the point that my story begins but I will take _some_ liberties when I feel it makes the story better. Like the characters are all about a year older than canon when Naruto & Jiraiya return. This first chapter is mostly drama but the fic itself is a Comedy/Romance, I just needed the setup. Hopefully I do this thing some justice so enjoy!

Update: I've almost totally revamped this chapter because I felt it was too 'light' in the original version, I hope you like the update :)

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Chapter 1 - Waking Up

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Smoke. He could smell the hot, dry gas permeating his senses as he struggled to breath. It was difficult not to choke on every inhale, and to make matters worse the smell was now joined by the taste. As conciseness slowly crept back in sounds returned as well. He could hear crackling, the soft sounds of a dying fire echoing in his ears. Something moved over to his left … _PAIN _… His entire body was racked with terrible pain, every bone had to be broken and it felt like his skin was on fire. He knew he had to move, to get up, but his body didn't want to respond. It would just be so much easier to lay here and go back to sleep… _**Get up boy!**_

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, they didn't seem to want to work at first but the world gradually began to resolve itself. He wished for a moment that it hadn't. Shooting pains roamed his body with every movement as punishment, but as he propped himself upright he could see that he was lying in the middle of the worst devastation he had ever seen. The forest was burned for at least 200 meters in every direction, and there were craters the size of buildings littering the landscape. He turned his head to look in the direction of the movement he felt a moment ago, "Ero-Sennin!"

Jiraiya sat with his back against a small boulder, blood was oozing from his chest and staining is long mane of spiky white hair. His breathing was ragged, and he was having trouble staying conscious. It had taken everything the aging Shinobi had to stop Naruto's rampage, and he'd been worried that Naruto might not survive after seeing what the Kyuubi's possession had done to his student's body, but it looked like Naruto was back to normal and while the youngster had seen better days he would be fine. The healing powers the Kyuubi granted the genin never ceased to amaze him. Now his own condition was the pressing question, he'd been sitting here for the last 30 minutes trying to figure out if he could stand. Deciding it was now or never he gathered his strength and gave it a shot, "Naru...to" he managed before collapsing in cloud of ash.

Ignoring the constant pain every movement brought, Naruto crawled towards his unconscious teacher and grabbed hold of his his gi, "Ero-Sennin, wake up! Can you hear me?" It was no use he realized, his sensei was out cold and probably needed medical attention. Naruto groaned, it looked like he was going to have to carry Jiraiya to help and the old man looked awfully heavy. "Damn it, where are we?" he asked out loud. He looked around trying to spot something familiar but whatever happened here erased anything he might recognize.

Naruto quickly searched his memories trying to recall the last thing he could, "_I remember setting up camp about 4 kilometers east of Nagoya, we were talking about the Kyuubi and the seal and then … shit. That's the last thing I remember, that's not a good sign. But at least I have direction, west it is._"

He shook his sensei one last time just in case, "Ero-Sennin, are you awake? Didn't think so, you better not have been cheating on that diet!" Naruto gritted his teeth against his body's protest and heaved the other man up onto his shoulders. "Argh! You cheater!"

* * *

"Aw come on you old perv!" Naruto complained. "We both know you're awake and just too lazy to walk your damn self, give me a break would you?" He glanced over his shoulder at Jiraiya's face and saw the sannin was still out cold. Naruto sighed in irritation, he'd always imagined winning every argument against Ero-Sennin would be more entertaining. He readjusted the weight with a heave and resumed putting one foot in front of the other.

He'd been dragging the old man for what seemed like an eternity but his training told him was probably 3 kilometers or so, but he wasn't sure how much farther he could go. It was difficult to focus his eyes now and he was still bleeding from several deep gashes although the flow of blood had stemmed somewhat. His orange jumpsuit hung from his batted body in shreds. In his current state he'd collapse any moment but as he looked up he finally saw what he'd been looking for. The smoke of cooking fires, that could only mean people, and help.

"Help! Come quick, they're hurt!" Naruto looked toward the voice and saw a young boy running toward him. There were several adults behind him but Naruto couldn't quite make them out.

"_Some kid spotted us and _h_e's bringing help_, _that's a good thing_," the weary ninja thought. "_Now I think I just need to rest for a second_…" Naruto flopped forward, crumpling in the tall grass.

* * *

"Well look at that, sleeping beauty awakes!"

That voice sounded familiar, "_Well at least I'm not dead. There's no God in heaven that would stick me with Ero-Sennin for all eternity and call it paradise. Then again, I could be in hell…"_

Naruto opened his eyes and actually felt the harsh fluorescent light ping against the back of eye balls. "What the hell," he moaned. He waited for his eyes to make the painful adjustment to his current surroundings and found himself staring at the white drop ceiling of your typical hospital, something he'd learned from extensive experience. "Good, we made it. You're a damn Liar."

"Liar? What are you talking about?"

Naruto turned his head to his right and saw Jiraiya lying in the bed next to him. "You said you weren't cheating on your diet."

Jiraiya looked incredulous, "I didn't I swear!"

"Please, I just lugged your overweight ass halfway across the countryside, from now on your name is Debu-Ero-Sennin." (_Debu-Ero-Sennin means Fat-Perverted-Hermit_)

"Bah! You're just too damn weak. Maybe if you worked on strength conditioning once in awhile instead of practicing the same jutsu over and over you wouldn't be lying there making _baseless accusations_!"

Naruto managed a grin, "Ya right." He tried to sit up and was immediately rewarded with a terrible jolt of pain trying to split him in half and gave up. "Damn that hurts, how are you doing?"

Jiraiya's smile faded a bit, "My chest feels like it's ground beef but I'll live. We might be stuck here for a few more days though, I don't heal like you do."

Naruto squinted out of one eye and nodded. "Speaking of which, what the hell happened out there? The whole dam forest looked like it was destroyed, I've never seen anything like it."

"You don't remember?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto furrowed his brow, "No, the last thing I remember was us setting up camp and you taking another look at the Kyuubi's seal before we ate dinner."

Jiraiya put his arms up behind his head, "That's strange but I suppose you did take a pretty hard knock to the head. Well the truth is I was playing around with a new summoning and kind of … lost control. I managed to disperse the damn thing but not before the battle caused all that carnage you saw."

Naruto stared at his sensei, two years with the pervert taught him a lot about how to read the cagey shinobi and his bullshit sense was starting to tingle. "_Jiraiya-sensei only summons frogs and he's basically in good standing with Gamabunta the most powerful of all frogs. Seems awfully unlikely that he could summon another frog that's actually too powerful for him to control, his story doesn't add up. Like why don't I remember anything at all? Even if I got knocked out during the fight I should still remember something about what happened. And if I really took that kind of hit to the head then why isn't my head bandaged?" _

Naruto decided to bluff, "So what really happened?"

The question was just quick enough to catch the legendary sannin off guard, "W-What do you mean what happened? I just told you kid, try not to be so paranoid."

It wasn't much but it was enough, that almost instantaneous flicker in Jiraiya's response told Naruto all he needed to know. Jiraiya was lying. He turned his head back towards the ceiling and didn't say anything for a full minute.

"Jiraiya-sensei?"

Jiraiya twitched in surprise, he honestly couldn't remember the last time Naruto addressed him respectfully, he might be busted. "Yes?"

"Do you think you could tell me what really happened? It's been two years now and I want to be able trust you."

"Naruto…"

"_Please_ Jiraiya, I know something else happened. I'm seventeen years old and I'm tired of all the fucking secrets and all the fucking lies. My life is like one big rollercoaster and a huge part of that is because everyone's always trying to protect me from the truth. I don't need that from you too, I need someone who'll treat me like a man and tell me what's real so I can face it."

Jiraiya turned away and went completely silent. Naruto sat waiting for him to say something, anything, but nothing came. "Damn it Jiraiya, not you too…" he whispered.

Naruto closed his eyes and tried to push back the flood of emotions that were starting to wash over him but something was breaking, giving way to the tide welling up from his gut. "Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up an outcast Jiraiya? Do you have any idea what's it's like for an eight year old to be spat on in the streets and not even know why?" he demanded angrily.

Jiraiya turned back and looked at his apprentice, he tried to keep his own composure but there was a sadness in face that he couldn't wipe away. He _didn't_ know, and knowing that he'd been gallivanting around the world peeking into women's baths while Minato's only son suffered a lifetime's worth of pain just to start his childhood kept Jiraiya up more nights than Naruto would ever know. He wanted to say something, he wanted to apologize, but he didn't want to interrupt. This was something Naruto needed to get off his chest, and it was something Jiraiya knew he needed to hear.

Naruto's outburst was starting to pick up speed, "I used to get jealous of the other orphans because they could beg for food when we didn't get much to eat. But I couldn't because I was more likely to get beat down than get a piece of bread, the orphans didn't even want me around because I'd fuck things up for them. How is a little kid supposed to understand that? Telling me why they hated me wouldn't have changed how I lived but it would helped me understand Jiraiya! At least I would have known it wasn't my fault!"

Naruto sat up in his bed totally oblivious to the pain shooting through his body, the adrenaline was holding him up now and he couldn't even hear his own words over sound of blood rushing though his ears, "It took me my entire life to figure out that I wasn't a monster, that all those fucking bastards were wrong about me. If someone just would have told me the truth back then! But how did I find out that the Kyuubi no Kitsune was sealed into my chest forever trying to eat its way out? I had to learn it from the bastard demon himself _after_ you threw me off a cliff! Jiraiya-sensei, I know I'm not even close to being the Hokage so I don't expect anything from those ignorant bastards in the village, but you _do_ know me. You know better than anyone how I've risked my life for that ungrateful village and how I've risked my life for the people I love. You've even seen me kill for them, and I've killed to protect you too."

Jiraiya couldn't stop his eyes from tearing up, the look on Naruto's face the first time he killed was something the sannin never forgot, they couldn't wash the blood off fast enough. They never spoke of it again but the first kill wasn't something that any shinobi ever forgot.

Naruto looked Jiraiya square in the face, "I've never asked for anything before but acceptance. But now I'm asking you for something else Jiraiya-sensei, something I think I've earned after all this time. I want the truth, and I want to know all of it, not just the part you think I'm ready for."

Naruto tilted his head down towards the floor and his voice dropped off to a whisper, "I just want to know for once what's happening to me _before_ I find out from a monster…"

Jiraiya couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't bear the sight of Naruto's face and had to turn away. Everything the kid said was true and then some, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so guilty. "_That was one hell of a speech kid, you're a lot more grown up than I usually give you credit for. Maybe you are ready to hear the truth, God knows I'm sick of hiding it from you. I just hope Tsunade doesn't kill me when she finds out, and I hope you understand Minato._"

"I have the key Naruto..."

Naruto picked his head up, "The key to what?"

"The key to the seal on your stomach."

Naruto gasped, "There's a key!? But why? What's it for?"

"Just calm down and listen," the Jiraiya responded. "Listen and I'll tell you everything." Naruto relaxed, shocked but quiet. "The 4th Hokage entrusted it to me just before he died. It was meant to strengthen the seal if it ever weakened over time, but it can also loosen or release the seal completely. That's what really happened yesterday, I thought I could loosen the seal and give you greater access to the fox's chakra, but the demon took over your body and I was barely able to stop you."

Naruto sank back into the soft cotton sheets, "So I was the one who destroyed the forest and caused all that destruction, and I don't remember any of it."

Jiraiya nodded, "Yes, and it was my fault. I've been studying the seal and I thought it would be safe to loosen it. But there's a lot more to the key than that Naruto."

"Like what?"

"My studies over the last couple of years keep pointing to the same conclusion no matter how I look at it. It looks like the seal that the 4th Hokage used to imprison the Kyuubi is … incomplete." Naruto almost jumped out of his bed and ended up doubled over in pain. "Naruto calm down you're gonna hurt yourself!"

"Arrrgh, Ok I'm calm," he spit through clenched teeth. Naruto tried to ease himself back into bed. "What do you mean incomplete?"

"I mean just that, it's like the sealing technique was left one step short for some reason. I don't know exactly why he would do that but one thing seems certain, it was intentional. If he had completed the seal than you and the Kyuubi would be permanently entangled but you're not."

Naruto's face brightened, "Really?"

Jiraiya saw his mistake a continued quickly, "That doesn't mean you can get rid of it Naruto, if the seal is released the Kyuubi would exit through you, killing you in the process. It's only temporary for him."

"Then why leave it open to being released at all?" Naruto wondered aloud. "What the fuck! Didn't he do enough to me?! I'm stuck with this damn thing for my entire life and he leaves the door cracked open for me to be ripped apart just in case?!" Naruto's outburst was rewarded with another flash of pain.

"Naruto, calm down if you want to hear the rest!"

He shot Jiraiya a dirty look, "There's more? What, did he leave a bomb in my chest too?"

Ignoring the sarcasm Jiraiya continued, "Have some faith would you? The 4th wouldn't have done this without good reason, I should know he was my student."

Naruto stared at his sensei in amazement, this really seemed like one of those things you told someone _before_ a couple of years went by, "You what?!"

Jiraiya gave him a slightly bored expression, "What? I was the 4th Hokage's jounin instructor, didn't I mention it?"

Naruto shook his head, "No you didn't mention it! You know I've always wanted to be the Hokage, why wouldn't you tell me that you taught one of them?!"

Jiraiya smiled, "What's important is that I'm telling you now so you understand who taught the 4th his sealing techniques. Now the 4th did eventually eclipse me and your seal is one of his custom jobs that I don't fully understand but don't worry, you and I are going to figure this out together. The 4th Hokage had a plan for you Naruto, and we're going to finish what he started."

Naruto leaned back and looked thoroughly dejected, "Well you'll have to excuse me if I'm not overly impressed with his great plan so far. Seems more to me like his plan was a tragic yet inevitable death."

"Quit being such a drama queen, I can tell you as a matter of fact that the 4th Hokage had big plans for you," Jiraiya said smiling.

"Oh ya? And how do you figure that?"

Jiraiya's smile faded, "Are you sure you want to know everything Naruto? Once you know there's no going back."

The hairs on Naruto's neck stood straight up, it was a tone he hadn't heard from the sannin in a long time, not since the last time they had to… "My mind is made up Jiraiya-sensei, I want to know."

Jiraiya sighed, he never figured he would be the one to tell the kid even though by almost any measure it was his duty above anyone else's. It just wasn't his kind of thing, it was the kind of duty that he'd made a career out of avoiding. But perhaps that was the point, perhaps it was it important for them both, the teller and the tell-e. Minato would think it was hilarious.

"The reason I know the 4th would want things to go well for you is simple kid, he might have been my student … but he was your father." Jiraiya sat and stared at Naruto to see how he would react, this wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

Naruto blinked, "_What?_"

Naruto blinked again, "_What did he say?_"

The room started spinning and Naruto lost track of his surroundings, "_My father was the 4__th__ Hokage? But I don't have a father, I'm an orphan. If I had a father someone would have told me. If I had a father_ … _if I had a family …"_

"_**What the fuck did you say?!"**_ Naruto screamed. "I don't have a father! I don't have a mother! I don't have anyone I didn't find myself! Do you understand me?! Fuck you Jiraiya! And fuck the 4th Hokage!"

A pair of large hands enveloped him, someone had him, someone was forcing him down, trying to stop him. "Get off of me! Get away from me you fuck! I'll kill you!" But the hands were strong, he couldn't break free, he couldn't even see, everything was red, everything hurt…

"_**Naruto please stop!**_"

He wasn't sure why, but Naruto stopped just like the voice asked. Maybe it was the word 'please', he didn't hear that very often. Nothing made much sense but he looked up and saw someone, someone was holding him, someone he knew. "Jiraiya?"

"Naruto? Are you OK?"

The world stopped spinning and the room turned white again, it was a hospital room wasn't it? Naruto moved his eyes around but ultimately they focused in on Jiraiya, the sannin was out of his bed and holding him down he realized. Looking into Jiraiya's face the new information finally integrated itself with his consciousness and Naruto breathed out slowly. Jiraiya was bleeding. "I'm OK Jiraiya-sensei, I - I'm sorry. Please lay down, you're bleeding."

Jiraiya cast a weary glance at his student and slowly peeled his hands from the young man's arms. He looked down and confirmed what he already knew, he broke a whole mess of stitches. He could hear the now patient-less monitor next to his bed echoing out a steady tone, at least he wouldn't have to call for the nurses. Jiraiya limped back over to his bed and laid back down with a heavy grunt.

Naruto watched him hit the bed, but he was lost in his own thoughts, "_the 4__th__Hokage? But why would he do this to me if I'm his son? Why did he curse me? Why did he leave me all alone? Why?!"_ An image suddenly flashed across his mind, of hair, of eyes, and stone. Naruto felt his entire body relax like an unseen weight just vanished into the ether, "_He never left at all did he? He was always there watching over me, hiding in plain sight._"

"Jiraiya-sensei?"

"Yes Naruto?"

"What was he like?..."

* * *

**Authors Notes:** I don't really know when Naruto learned about Jiraiya being Minato's teacher in canon but it wasn't when they first meet I can tell you that. Either way, in this story he learned about it just now :)

Sometimes I try to be subtle in my writing so here's some trivia for the curious:

For 3 points: when the hairs stood up on the back of Naruto's neck what event was he thinking about when he thought; "_it was a tone he hadn't heard from the sannin in a long time, not since the last time they had to…_" (this one will be a toughy)

For 2 points: "_An image suddenly flashed across his mind, of hair, of eyes, and stone._" What was the image?

I'll post the answers in the authors notes at the end of the next chapter…


	2. Return to Konoha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Naruto returns to Konoha and reacquaints himself with his old friends, but no one's changed as much as he has...

**Notes: **Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the feedback!

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Chapter 2 - Return to Konoha

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Naruto looked down at the Village of Konoha from his high perch, standing atop a power pole he breathed in the fresh air and let his gaze settle on Hokage mountain. He studied the face of the 4th Hokage looking for something, "Well I'm back, I hope you didn't get too used to things being quiet around here, I plan on making a little noise." He whispered.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya called, "Get down here! Someone wants to see you!" Naruto glanced down to see a young girl standing next to Jiraiya with pink hair, smiling Naruto hurled himself downward and slammed into the hard ground below. With his chakra enhanced strength the landing was no problem, nor would it have been for most Shinobi, but the villagers nearby nearly jumped out of their skin. Jiraiya rolled his eyes at the obvious showmanship, but it did seem to elicit a reaction of surprise from Sakura.

"Sakura-Chan! Wow are you a sight for sore eyes!" Naruto called, as he rushed up and clasped her up in bear hug. Sakura squeaked with suprise and Naruto immediately felt awkward, he released her and jumped back with both of them looking a bit embarrassed.

Jiraiya giggled, "_Well this has some promise now doesn't it? I bet now he wishes he had read more of my books!"_

"Naruto-Kun!" Sakura blushed, had he ever changed! When she saw him standing on top of the power pole staring at the Hokages he seemed so different then she remembered, quieter somehow, with a strength that seemed to pour out of him even though he was doing nothing but standing still. She wondered what had happened to him these last 3 years to change him like this, and she suddenly found herself filled with a sense of regret as she realized how much she had missed him and how hard she had tried to bury those feelings of loneliness. It hadn't been easy losing both of her squad mates.

Sakura shook herself out it, that present had just evaporated into the past, Naruto was back! Sakura took a moment to study the new Naruto, he was taller, much taller. In fact he looked like he was taller than she was by a good 3 inches. His cloths had changed slightly, he but he still clung to his trademark orange and black. His face was a lot leaner and his hair was longer, thick blond spikes partially covering his bright blue eyes, adding a hint of mystery.

"_Oh my God!_ _Am I checking him out?"_ she though wildly, since when was Naruto attractive? She kept looking to make sure, he was no Sasuke of course, no one would ever be that good she told herself. But he was getting much better! Out of instinct Sakura shifted to the side subtly to show off her legs, "_You're not the only one who's grown Naruto! Check this out!"_

"You look so much older Naruto! It's been so long since I've seen you, do I look more mature now too?" she asked, hoping he would notice her.

"Wow Sakura you're just great, you look exactly the sam...", Naruto caught himself in mid sentence. He was about to say something really stupid, "_Damn it! Think before you speak, you're not like that anymore!_ " he chastised himself.

"You look like you're an amazing women!" he blurted in a mild mental panic.

"_Man I hope she buys that!"_ Actually she did look good, beautiful in fact. Gone was the long dress, replaced with knee high open toed boots, and a form fitting skirt that stopped above the knees. He thought it was plenty short, but even so it was slitted up the side to allow for better movement. She wore lycra shorts underneath that jutted out just below the skirt, but the shape of her legs was still easy to make out. He tried not to stare but his eyes didn't seem to want to cooperate.

Sakura followed his eyes and blushed even deeper, "_He noticed!" _she thought smugly. "_Now I won't have to pile drive him into the ground for almost saying I look exactly the same! I have to admit, you're growing up Naruto." _

Jiraiya for one was proud, the kid had come a long way in the last year since he learned about his past. He was so much more like his father now, no one would believe it. And smooth talking a girl! "_Way to go Naruto!"_ Jiraiya thought. "_He's doing great,_ _I wonder if he knows she's checking him out?"_

_"I wonder if the pervy sage is getting a load of this!"_ Naruto beamed inwardly. "_I told him I didn't need those stupid books! Sakura just checked me out, I'm sure of it!"_

The awkward silence was broken by a distant call, "Hey! Naruto-san!" Naruto turned around to see the newcomers and saw two people approaching. The first was unrecognizable, hiding his face behind his tall collar and glasses, and the other was wearing a black jump suit and riding atop some kind of monstrous wolf. The rider predictably arrived first and leapt off his beast landing right in front of Naruto and Sakura. "Naruto! What's it been like 3 years?" he asked, obviously expecting a response.

"Uh, ya I guess..." Naruto stumbled. "Wait a minute! It can't be... Kiba?! Shino?! How have you been?! You two looked completely different, and that beast over there... is that Akamaru? He's huge! It seems like it's been forever! Wait..." There was another member of this team Naruto remembered, a girl, a weird girl, "Hey where's Hinata?"

Kiba rolled his eyes looking offended, "Hinata? Who cares? She's scared of you anyways! What have you been doing these last 3 years? Training like crazy I bet!"

Naruto smirked, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, just wait until you see what I can do now..."

Akamaru barked to Kiba. "_No kidding, he's a lot different,"_ Kiba thought. "_Almost_ i_ntimidating ... how interesting." _

Shino was having the same thought, his bugs were whispering a warning to him that there was dangerous chakra near. If it was anyone else he would have thought that Jiraiya-sama's formidable presence was setting them off, but he could tell it was Naruto. "So Naruto, you seem a lot different than I remember, you seem much... stronger. I take it that your training with Jiraiya-sama was a success?"

"Success? You bet it was! I'm a lot stronger now then when I left. And I'm not just a brawler anymore either, Jiraiya-senei's been teaching me a whole lot of techniques that run in my fami... er," he stuttered, not wanting give away too much. "A lot of techniques that I seem to have an affinity for."

One of Shino's eye brows raised slightly behind his sunglasses. "Uh huh."

Something familiar ticked at the edge of Naruto's senses, he looked away suddenly searching for something down the street. "Ah ha! I know that feeling, it must be..." He made a quick sign with his left hand and with a puff of smoke he was gone.

"Whoa!" his friends all yelled in unison, they weren't expecting that!

"_When did he learn that?"_ Sakura wondered. "_A body flicker jutsu!"_ It was a deceptive jutsu that gave the user the illusion of teleportation but Sakura knew that wasn't really the case. A shinobi first concentrated a large mass of chakra inside their body and then preplanned out his or her route. Once the jutsu was activated the users body would perform the planned series of movements at an incredible speed, faster then they ever could hope to do normally. It was so fast in fact that the user couldn't even see during the jutsu's execution. This was both the techniques strength and its fatal flaw of course, it took a moment for the ninja to decelerate and gain their bearings coming out of a body flicker. That moment of confusion was all it took to get killed in battle, as a result only a handful of shinobi with the most exceptional reflexes ever used the technique in combat. The genjutsu portion of the technique was usually used to create a cover like smoke or some other confusion to help protect a ninja finishing a flicker.

Nearly all Jounin could manage a basic body flicker but Naruto had never shown much talent for such things. "_He wasn't kidding when he said Jiraiya-sama had been teaching him some new things._" Sakura looked around and opened her senses searching for him, there were some other shinobi nearby but she couldn't locate Naruto. "_I don't have time for this!"_ she thought. "_I'm supposed to bring him to talk to the 5th." _

"Jiraiya-sama, do you have any idea where Naruto just went?" she asked exasperated.

His eyes flickered for just a moment then he smiled, "What, you can't tell?"

* * *

"Oh!" Hinata Hyuuga yelped. Naruto Uzumaki, the love of her life had just appeared in front of her, and she was absolutely paralyzed. She had hidden down the street and behind a fence when she saw him standing up on the power pole, she wasn't ready to see him, not after 3 years, she had no idea he was back! What was she going to say? "_I still freeze up around him, damn it!"_

Naruto nearly fell over after appearing in front of her, this was Hinata?! Her soft lavender eyes perfectly framed her button nose and delicate lips. She was chewing on her lower lip nervously trying not to look him in the eye, it was actually a lot like how he remembered her but instead of being odd and annoying it just seemed so irresistible now!

He continued analyzing her, she had traded in one oversize coat for another, but this one suited her much better, less a winter coat and more of a uniform. It was unzipped partway to revel her mesh top, hinting to what was beneath. Her hair was longer now as well, and wrapped around her shoulders leading down to her more than ample looking...

Looking up Hinata saw she was being undressed by Naruto's eyes, and she turned bright red. "Uh, Naruto-kun? Up here..." she whispered.

"_Oh yeah baby!"_ her mind trumpeted, "_he just looked me up and down and he liked it! Yes! My Naruto is back!"_

"Well uh, hi." Naruto managed, floundering for his composure. He must have spent too much time with the pervert. "Uh, so how is your eye thing going?" She stared at him. _"You Idiot." _Naruto thought, "_real smooth... how's your eye thing? Say something else!"_

"You look a lot stronger Hinata-chan! You'll have to spar with me sometime and show me what you've learned!" he yelled, causing her to back up against the fence. "_Oh hey, much better." _He thought,_ "Sort of..."_

"Well, ah, sure Naruto-kun. Whatever you say..." she mumbled, looking back to the ground.

_"Well, she's still weird"_ Naruto thought. "_But cute!"_

"Naruto!" Sakura called, rounding the corner. She couldn't believe that Jiraiya was right, how could she have missed him just down the street? She saw the Hyuuga girl with her back up against the fence, and Naruto leaning in on her grinning from ear to ear. "_What's this?"_ she wondered. "Naruto, the 5th wants to see you right away! You're to report to her and get your first assignment."

"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a sec." he responded. Turning back to Hinata, Naruto remembered how he had helped the girl with her fears before, and she still looked like she couldn't look him in the eye. "I'm serious about the sparring alright?"

"Y..Yes of course Naruto-kun" Hinata stuttered. She had gone completely red now. It was all she could do to keep from passing out.

"_Man is_ _she ever blushing. What is that all about? Just some training, geessh."_ Naruto thought as he turned to walk away.

"Well alright then it's a Date! Well, you know..."

Hinata stopped breathing for a moment and passed out, the momentary lack of oxygen being the straw that broke the camel's back. She landed with an audible _thud._

"... what I meant." Naruto trailed off. "Man I can't remember a time when that girl stayed upright! So strange._"_

Naruto turned back toward his teammate, "All right Sakura you win, lets go see the Hokage, looks like I'm done here anyways."

Sakura stood there contemplating Naruto as he approached, it was easy to sense his chakra now that he was right in front of her and she knew it was him. "_No wonder I couldn't find him! His chakra feels completely different! I was sensing his presence but I mistook him for someone else. But how is that possible? Chakra is supposed to be like a finger print, once you know someone's you always know it._" She made a mental note to ask the 5th about it later.

"Are you done harassing that poor girl?" she asked as they started towards Hokage tower. "We need to get going, the 5th is going to wonder where we're at."

"Sakura-chan! I wasn't harassing her, I just said hi!"

"Sure, it was all my imagination! And she's not unconscious laying on her back on the sidewalk over there either is she?"

"Ya, I don't really know why she always does that..." Naruto replied.

"I swear Naruto, how could you change so much and still be this hopeless?"

* * *

Hinata's eyes fluttered open. "There she is!" Kiba teased. "Done napping? If you're still tired I can go and get Naruto again!"

Shino shook his head from side to side, sometimes he wondered if these two were ever going to grow up. "You still can't control yourself around him, it's very embarrassing..."

Hinata ignored her teammates, "_He seemed really interested in me!"_ she squealed inwardly. _"Naruto's finally back and he's interested in me! I've got to get ready for training with him, oh my God what am I going to do?"_

* * *

Tsunade was staring at her desk as usual, and her inbox was now stacked just slightly above eye level, as usual. This annoyed her to no end, it made it impossible for her to see someone sitting in her office without looking around the stack or standing up, worse it made her look like a lazy ass. "Shit, I need some sake." She stated flatly. As she reached for her stash in the lower left drawer the door to her office swung open.

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune shouted as she barged in the oversize office. "Master Jiraiya and Naruto have returned!"

_"Thank God!"_ Tsunade thought, "_Now I can put this fucking paperwork off till later!"_

Shizune looked at her sensei as she ushered in the two travelers and Sakura, "_She's not going to get this paperwork done now is she?"_ She sighed, another late night.

Looking up she watched Jiraiya enter the office giving her a wink, followed by Naruto and finally her newest student Sakura. She noted the slight change in the air around Naruto, "_Interesting..."_

"Tsunade-sama!" Naruto beamed. "How are you?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Show some respect you lit... " Wait, did Naruto just address her appropriately? Where was the old lady insult?

She realized everyone was staring at her, "Naruto! Yes thank you for coming!" she said, maybe if she acted like she hadn't said that then the rest would play along. "I wanted to talk to you about your progress over the last 3 years, I trust Jiraiya has made a real Ninja out of you?"

"No need to be insulting." Naruto sniffed. He could see it was going to be a while before people stopped treating him like an idiot child. "_Man, was I that bad?"_

"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya yelled. "Of course he's progressed! He was taught by the great toad sage after all, Yeeeeaaaaa!"

Tsunade sighed, well at least Jiraiya was the same, big shocker. But Naruto was certainly different, bigger sure, but that was to be expected. It was his demeanor that had caught her attention, he was quiet, attentive, and his deep blue eyes sparkled with something deeper than before.

_"Jiraiya, who is this and what have you done with Naruto?" _she wondered. Still marveling at the transformation Tsunade continued, "Well good, then I have a little surprise for you, we're going to test your new skills at training ground number seven. Then I can figure out what to do with you."

"Awww come on Tsunade-sama!" Naruto whined. "You know you can send me on any mission! I'm way stronger now then I used be."

"No arguments Naruto, your opponent is outside..."

Naruto didn't understand at first, he looked out the window at the street, but immediately sensed the presence to his left, "Kakashi-sensei!"

"Naruto!" the lean jounin greeted. "It's been a long time, you sure have grown a lot since I last saw you. I take it Jiraiya has been training you well?"

"You bet! I guess the 5th wants me to beat on you for a while before she'll give me an assignment." He joked.

"Is that so? Looks like I'm going to have to give my old student one more lesson." Kakashi replied coolly.

"Ok, Ok..." Naruto threw up his hands in feigned defeat. "But this will be a good chance to show you some of my new talents, try to not act too surprised OK?"

"_No chance of that Naruto..."_ Kakashi thought. He'd been studying Naruto since he entered the adjoining room. It confused him at first, but through a simple process of elimination he realized that the strange chakra belonged to Naruto. It wasn't like anything he had felt before and there was a lot of it. That alone seemed worrisome, but standing here talking to Naruto Kakashi could see the change in his personality. He was calmer now, more aware of his surroundings, even now the genin was sizing _him up_, he could tell.

"Well then, how about you show me what you've learned?"

* * *

**Authors Notes:** So here's the trivia answers from Ch 1:

For 3 points - What event was he thingkng about? The last time Naruto had to kill someone (_I said that one would be tough, I know_)

For 2 points - What image flashed in his mind? An image of the 4th Hokage's face carved in the mountains.


	3. Kakashi's bells

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Summary:** Tsunade tests Naruto's new skills, and Naruto's first intimate experience isn't as rewarding as he hoped.

**Notes: **I think I've got a few details wrong from canon like the training ground number, and I'm actually using a English to Romaji (Japanese in English Phonetic) translator for some of the Jutsu names. If you have any corrections let me know and I'll update it. As always enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3 – Kakashi's Bells

* * *

Standing at training ground seven with Sakura sure did bring back memories, it was where Kakashi-sensei had put them through their first team exercise, the bells training. Of course there had been three of them back then…

Kakashi looked at what was left of his former team, both Naruto and Sakura seemed lost in thought, "_Thinking about Sasuke I'll bet…"_

"Well Sasuke may be gone, but you two seem much stronger." he started. Sakura immediately slumped her shoulders even more at the mention of her missing-nin ex-teammate.

"_I see Sasuke is still a taboo word around her, but Naruto doesn't seem to be reacting at all, interesting…"_ Kakashi mused.

Naruto saw Sakura react to Sasuke's name, he sighed inwardly. She was still in love with him obviously, when would she ever learn? It hurt him too of course, but he was learning to control his emotions as a shinobi should. You still had to have them of course, and his Ninja way was still as unyielding as ever, but that didn't mean you had to wear every feeling on your sleeve.

As Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune looked on, Kakashi took out two bells and tied them to his belt. "You know the rules, come at me like you're going to kill me, or you'll never get the bells."

Both Naruto and Sakura nodded. "What, no book this time?" Naruto asked sarcastically.

"No, not this time." Kakashi replied evenly. "In fact I think I'm going to have to take you two a bit more seriously this time." The mysterious jounin lifted is headband to reveal his seldom seen left eye. The tomoes surrounding his red Sharingan eye rotated slightly. "I think I'm going to need this…"

* * *

In the distance, another watched the training, but she was having trouble seeing…, "Byakugan!" she said, calling upon the birthright technique of her family. Hinata gasped, what was wrong with her eyes?

* * *

"Are you ready?" Kakashi asked.

Without a word Naruto charged first jumping high in the air, Kakashi flicked a couple of Kunai his direction to slow his advance and gauge his movements. Naruto formed his trademark seal and created a shadow clone next to himself in mid-air, the clone grabbed his shirt and flung the original sideways and out of danger.

"_Very nice Naruto!" _Kakashi thought, "_but to slow_…" As Naruto landed, his former teacher was already there, holding his head with one hand. "I didn't say start yet, still impatient eh Naru…." Kakashi's question was cut short as he sensed another presence behind him, there stood another Naruto, with a Kunai pressed into his back.

"So you created three clones not two? Clever… Are you ready to start for real this time?" Kakashi asked.

"If we haven't started yet then why am I talking to a clone?" Naruto replied. The question had the desired response.

"_When did he see?" _Kakashi's clone wondered as the Kunai plunged it's back, causing the it to vanish in a puff of smoke.

"Sakura, below!" Naruto shouted, she understood immediately. Sakura slammed her fist into the ground calling upon all her strength, and the terrain within a 10 meter radius shattered, revealing an underground and shocked Kakashi staring up at his former students. "_What insane strength! Tsunade's crazy teaching that technique, looks like I'm going to have to take these two more than just a little seriously..."_

Only slightly less shocked was Naruto, he was expecting her to take guard against an attack from below. "_When did she learn that?!"_ he wondered. "_Man I better not piss her off…"_

Kakashi jumped up out of the crater onto a particularly large piece of rubble. "Well, I can see this is going to be more interesting then last time!" he called out. "Why don't we test your defenses?"

Kakashi's hands blurred as he threw together a series of complex hand signs, "Doryudan no jutsu !" The ground began rumbling as a massive earthen dragon raised up from the dirt next to Kakashi. Naruto and Sakura both tensed not knowing what to expect. Suddenly the mouth of the dragon glowed white and it spit several large projectiles towards them.

Sakura dodged the incoming fire with practiced grace, darting left then up she escaped unscathed. Her sensei Lady Tsunade had taught her if she had one responsibility as a medical ninja, it was not to get injured. She turned back to see if Naruto avoided the attack.

Naruto held his ground until the last moment, "Shunshin no Jutsu!" He vanished as the balls of chakra laced mud exploded at his feet sending a wave of dirt and grass into the forest. Naruto reappeared three feet in front of Kakashi already throwing a quick jab towards his face. Kakashi reacted instantly, tilting his head out of the way and tapping the outside of Naruto's arm he forced the young ninja to overextend and grabbed him by the shoulder. Using Naruto's momentum against him Kakashi turned his hip into Naruto and tried to throw him away and to the left.

But Naruto anticipated the move, and had already rotated his hips in the direction of Kakashi's toss. This allowed him to keep his balance and counter the move altogether as he naturally rotated back to face his mentor and dug his feet into the ground. The momentum now his, Naruto grabbed Kakashi's arm and pulled back hard, throwing the jounin over his shoulder.

Keeping with his almost lazy style of taijutsu Kakashi decided to flow along with the maneuver and simply allow himself to be thrown, smoothly rotating in midair he released another series of Kunai at Naruto to stop him from capitalizing on his successful reversal. Naruto was about to surge forward after his midair opponent but was forced to hit the deck to avoid the kunai.

"Excellent Work Naruto!" Kakashi praised landing gently in the pasture near the water. "That was an excellent use of the Body Flicker technique. If your timing was any better you might have got me!"

"_Actually his timing is superb, it's just his bad luck that the Sharingan defeats the speed and genjutsu of that technique. Without it he probably would have landed that blow. I've only known a handful of shinobi who've honed the body flicker to a point where it can be used effectively in battle, very impressive. He also managed to counter my throw, his taijutsu is improved as well. This could make his shadow clone technique very troublesome, the last thing I need is an army of Naruto's that can attack and defend well."_ He thought.

"Now I've got you!" Sakura yelled. She rocketed down towards him with her right leg extended and aimed at Kakashi's head.

Kakashi looked up and squinted trying to separate her from the noontime sun, "_She's using the sun to blind me to her attack, I can't see well enough to counter, not that I'd want to against her…" _He dove out of the way as she demolished the area he was standing in only a moment before.

His escape forced Kakashi onto the lake, taking up position on the water he stared down his two pupils as they regrouped and faced him. "I have to admit you two are getting to be quite the handful, I'm starting to miss the old days…"

"Really? We're just starting to have fun!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh really! All right then, have some fun with this…" Kakashi's hands blurred again as he formed his next attack.

"Oh my God! His hands are moving so fast I can't make out the signs!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto smiled to himself, "_You're right Sakura, he is fast. You may not be able to read his hand signs but I can!" _Naruto tapped his thumb against a small tack on his belt.

"Tsunami Kyokan Jutsu!" A massive wall of water raised up out of the lake in front of Kakashi and surged in the direction of Naruto and Sakura.

"Naruto! It's too wide to avoid!" Sakura called over the roar of the approaching tidal wave.

"I know, get next to me and hold on!" he yelled back.

Kakashi watched the wave break onto land and engulf the area in several tons of frothing water. Just as the wave broke and came crashing down on the ground where Naruto and Sakura had been he saw something flash straight up escaping the onslaught. With water and smoke streaming off the mysterious object he had trouble making out exactly what it was.

"_Hmmm, it's too large to be either one of them, and not many shinobi could manage a 50 meter high jump. I don't know what form I'm looking at but this has to be one of Naruto's, leave it to Jiraiya to teach him techniques like this."_

The large awkwardly shaped blob reached its crest and began falling back to earth straight down, splashing down hard into the remnants of Kakashi's artificial tidal wave. He widened his stance slightly to better react to the attack he suspected was coming.

Kakashi didn't have to wait long as a large pink tendril shot out from the water and raced straight at him. Throwing himself hard to the right he looked back as the fleshy pink monstrosity reach his previous location and turned 90 degrees again flying straight at him.

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly, "_Well this isn't good."_ The tentacle caught up with him a moment later and wrapped itself around him squeezing the breath from his body. The massive pink tentacle lifted the helpless jounin high into the air and then brought him down hard smashing him into the ground head first.

"I got him that time!" Naruto yelled. He was sitting on top of an eight foot tall armored frog, with Sakura right behind him holding on for dear life. The massive frog's tongue released Kakashi's body and whipped back into its mouth. "You wouldn't believe how handy these summonings can some in Sakura-chan!"

"Yea I can see that." She responded, trying to imagine that the thing she had her legs wrapped around was anything but a wet slimy frog. Ignoring the disgustingly warm and slick feeling of the frog's skin against her thighs she slid off it's back and fought off the urge to throw up. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?" she asked unevenly. "You don't think you really hurt him do you?"

"Geeez I hope not. Are you OK? You're walking funny…" Naruto dismounted and the frog vanished in a puff of smoke on his silent command.

"I'm fine, it's not like I'm covered in slime or anything!" she shot back. "Let's just get back to the task at hand shall we?"

Naruto giggled as they ran over to the last place they had seen their old sensei to find a shattered tree log where he should have been.

"Man I should have known, replacement! Getting to Kakashi-sensi is impossible!" Naruto sighed. "Now we have to be on guard, you can bet he's watching us right now."

"_That kid's dangerous!" _Kakashi thought. He was observing them from the forest contemplating his next move. "_Every technique he's used thus far is something I didn't even know he could do. To say that he's grown is an understatement. And Sakura's no slouch either, she may not have his range of attacks but with her strength one mistake and I'll be in the infirmary for a month." _

Sakura scanned the forest looking for any sign of Kakashi. "So what are we going to do?" she asked.

Naruto looked thoughtful, "Well, there is one more thing we can try, I've been holding it back in case I didn't need to use it. Think you can get his attention?"

* * *

From their perch at the edge of the training grounds Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune watched the match.

Tsunade shook her head, "Jiraiya, how did you teach Naruto so much? It's like he's a totally different person! Kakashi actually had to retreat!"

"Yea, he's full of surprises that one." Jiraiya replied. "Just wait until he gets serious."

"Serious? You mean to tell me he's not trying?" she asked surprised.

"Oh he's trying alright, but he's not showing all his abilities yet. I'd expect him to stop holding back soon though, he's obviously figuring out that he's not going to get those bells without really surprising Kakashi." He replied.

* * *

Kakashi stood with his back up against a tree. "_Hmmm, I'm sensing a lot of chakra signatures now, they're all entering the forest. Naruto must be using the Shadow Clone Jutsu to try and flood the forest to flush me out."_

Before he could formulate a strategy three kunai flew from a nearby tree and raced towards him. Kakashi ducked and sped away looking for the attacker and whatever else might lie ahead. His senses told him to look up, and two Naruto's dropped down to meet him. Kakashi was ready and sent shurikin flying at both, but to his surprise the twins both deflected his attack with a smooth stroke of their kunai. Kakashi halted as they landed in front him cutting off his escape.

"_I knew it, these clones are going to be troublesome. They're so much more capable now! But, that's the true advantage of the Shadow Clone Technique. It multiplies the users effectiveness on the battlefield. Naruto may only be twice as good as he once was, but now that improvement is multiplied by each and every clone making him ten times harder to deal with."_

The Naruto twins stared at Kakashi but didn't move. "Well? Are you just going to sit there?" he asked them. Suddenly, they looked at each other with a grin and vanished, leaving Kakashi in the clearing alone.

"Uh oh, this _can't_ be good…" he said under his breath.

"Oh no!" an overly girly voice rang out to his right. "This stupid uniform is always giving me so many problems! Now I can't even get this top to stay buttoned and I'm totally exposed!" Sakura complained. She turned to face Kakashi, her shirt was unbuttoned exposing her soft white stomach and lacey pink bra. Biting her lower lip and giving her best puppy dog eyes she pleaded, "Kakashi-sensei? Could you help me pleeeease, everyone can see my perky breasts!"

Kakashi completely forgot where he was, his Sharingan began spinning wildly trying to take everything in while a voice somewhere in the back of his head screamed at him for being a dirty old man. "_You trained her as a child you sick bastard! Why in world would… Wait! Trap!"_

His paralyzed mind caught the ruse too late, the half naked Sakura vanished in cloud of smoke as he felt someone approaching from behind. Without any time to think Kakashi jumped straight up to escape, glancing over his shoulder he saw the ground disintegrate as the real Sakura just missed with another monstrous punch. "So you like looking at underage girls do you, you old Pervert!"

Naruto was hiding in the brush nearby and saw Kakashi in midair, he wasn't where Naruto was hoping he'd be however, and now Sakura was going to get in the way but it would have to do. "Ok Naruto, " he whispered to himself, "nothing but speed, pure speed…" Gathering as much chakra as he could muster Naruto launched himself full speed at the legendary Copy Ninja hoping to catch him off guard. Naruto blurred out of the brush and flew towards Sakura and Kakashi, at the last second he jumped over Sakura and flicked a kunai into his hand.

As Sakura watched Kakashi escape into the air she suddenly saw him twist and raise a kunai for no reason. Before she could figure out what was going on she felt a massive surge of chakra behind her and something moved past her head at an incredible speed, the gale of wind following whatever it was actually threw her to the ground. She threw her hands out reflexively and caught herself from face planting into the cracked earth and pushed off hard with her left arm she spun over trying desperately to get a look at what was happening above her. Staring up she saw Naruto was there, his kunai pressed up against Kakashi's. Sakura gasped, was that thing Naruto? "_That's not possible! Naruto can't move like that can he? … W__hat did he just do?"_

If it hadn't been for the Sharingan, he would have missed it. "_Holy Shit he's fast! I'm not gonna make it!"_ Kakashi thought, spinning in mid-air to meet Naruto's Kunai. He managed the counter with nothing to spare but the move had forced him off balance and in mid-air that was deadly. Naruto saw the opening and grabbed Kakashi's other arm, with both of them occupied he wouldn't be able to make seals and perform complex ninjutsu. Now if only Sakura would stop gawking and help…

Sakura saw the two locked together and shook off her shock. She launched herself into the air reaching for the bells… "_Almost there…, 3 meters…, 2 meters…, 1 meter…!_" Kakashi vanished in puff of smoke, replaced with another large tree branch. "_Shit!"_ Naruto and Sakura collided and came crashing towards the ground in a jumble of arms and legs. With a last second flip, Naruto landed on his feet and caught his upside down teammate against his body just before her head impacted the hard ground below. Belly to belly and inverted, Naruto looked down, Sakura looked up, and four eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

This was easily the closest Naruto had ever been to this particular region of woman, and while his mind screamed at his eyes not to look in the name of decency, his eyes responded with the biological equivalent of "_Piss Off!"_

"_Oh my God! I can't believe I'm staring at her …_ _Is Sakura-chan wearing underwear? Oh shit that pervy sage is starting to rub off on me! If I don't say something quick Sakura's going to kill me!"_

"Um, Sakura?... Are you OK?" he asked her pelvis.

Sakura was still trying to come to terms with being within six inches of Naruto's crotch when she realized with startling clarity where his face was, "Put me down you _PERVERT_!" she screamed. Naruto immediately complied and dropped her on her head.

"Oh my God I'm sooooo sorry Sakura-chan!"

"You're a _**dead**_ pervert walking, you hear me Naruto?!"

"Kakashi-sensei! Help me _PLEASE_!"

Jiraiya and Shizune collapsed in laughter as the forest was filled with the sounds of Naruto's screams, but Tsunade wasn't paying attention anymore. She was just staring at the young blond genin. "_How did he move like that? There was no technique, it was just speed! He nearly got the drop on Kakashi even with the Sharingan!"_

* * *

Hinata leaned up against a nearby tree and released her Byakugan, her large white eyes returned to their natural lavender. What had she just seen? It couldn't be her, everyone else looked the same, but not Naruto. Naruto was like some kind of blur, a golden blur. And when the fight started he shined with a brilliance she had never seen before, he was almost difficult to look at. What could it mean?


	4. Naruto’s Inheritance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Tsunade demands and explanation for Naruto's new found talents.

**Notes: **I'm not sure I should have blown the story title on this chapter because there's more to Naruto's Inheritance then what's revealed here, but it just fit with the dialog.

* * *

Chapter 4 - Naruto's Inheritance

* * *

If Tsunade would have screamed at every one of them all the way back to Hokage tower it would have been better the then utter silence they got. On entering her office she turned to Shizune, "Go get me some sake, cold. None of the cheap crap!"

"Yes lady Tsunade!" she peeped, she was glad to be out the room but something told her it would almost be worth it to stay just to see what was going to happen.

Tsunade looked at Naruto, then Jiraiya, then back again. "So who's going to tell me what happened out there? Naruto was like a force of nature out there! The jutsu I can understand, the improvements I can understand, but the way he moved! There's no way in hell Naruto should be able to move like he did! I couldn't even follow his movement! Along with everything else he was able to do which was _great_, don't get me wrong! But something's going on here and I want to know what it is. Kakashi was using his Sharingan and still had trouble reacting. And after Naruto and Miss perky tits over there finished playing grab-ass they got the bells in 20 minutes!"

Sakura turned a deep crimson and looked down at the floor, "That's not _fair_, it was Naruto's idea.." she said under her breath.

"What's that?" Tsunade asked loudly glaring Sakura down. "Was my _other_ pink haired perky chested student running around the forest without her shirt?! I don't know whether to beat you for setting kunoichi's right's back 60 years or congratulate you for finding that pervert Kakashi's weak spot!"

Sakura clenched up looking even more embarrassed if possible. Tsunade looked at her star pupil, "_Well, it actually was a good idea, it got the job done against the opponent they were given. It's not like she's actually going to do that against a real enemy…"_

Naruto looked annoyed, he didn't really think it was a big deal but he would have to apologize to Sakura later for getting her into trouble. He knew what kind of books Kakashi liked to read and figured that Sakura's wardrobe malfunction would completely shut him down. In retrospect maybe that wasn't such a good idea but he was only doing what he was taught. Every situation training and real is different, and the outcome is usually decided by the side with the most creativity. Wasn't being cunning and unpredictable at the very core of being a shinobi?

Jiraiya was getting nervous and looking for an out, he knew there was no winning with an angry Tsunade. The Sanin took an almost imperceptibly small step towards the window.

"So are one of you two going to tell me what what's going on with Naruto?" Tsunade asked, turning her attention back to Jiraiya and his student.

"I can't explain everything as well as Jiraiya-sensei but I'll tell you about it." Naruto said. Tsunade looked at him with a surprised expression, he wasn't showing any fear of her at all, he was taking the lead, calm, and passive. He reminded her of someone.

"Well? Spit it out, you're going to tell me about what?" she demanded.

"About my... Inheritance." Naruto stated simply.

Tsunade blinked expecting more, "Your Inheritance? What inheritance? Who left you an inheritance?"

"Who else?" Naruto asked.

Like a ton of bricks, she understood. "Sakura sweety? Would you be a dear and please give us some privacy, I need to talk to Jiraiya and Naruto alone." Tsunade said pleasantly. The three of them froze, instincts alone told them a sweet tone like that could only mean danger, horrible…, inescapable…, danger.

Sakura bolted for the door thankful that whatever Naruto had just spilled was somehow bigger then her now forgotten wardrobe malfunction. Jiraiya was moving quicker towards the window when Sakura closed the door.

"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade screamed reaching out for the retreating Sanin, "What the hell did you tell him?! You fucking idiot, that wasn't your decision to make! Have you forgotten who issued those orders!" She caught him by the tip of his hair and yanked, flinging him across the room towards her and into a fist full of pain.

"Enough!" Naruto yelled. Even before becoming Hokage not many people dared take that tone with Tsunade, but for some reason she froze. Jiraiya crashed to the floor in a heap.

"He didn't have a choice, I made him tell me, and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me! I'm finally becoming the shinobi I was meant to be."

She released her comrades hair and ignored the hurt look on his face as he held his aching scalp. "_Now that was an interesting statement_, a_nd not the sort of thing I expected to come out of Naruto's mouth."_ She sighed inwardly, "_I might as well find out what he knows…"_

"So lay it out for me, what has he told you…"

"It was about a year ago, we had a training accident and I made Jiraiya-sensei tell me the truth, the whole truth. He told me about my father, … Minato. He told me about my mother Kushina and how she died giving birth to me. And he told me about how my father died later that same night saving Konoha, and what he left me."

Tsunade sighed, so he did know, she didn't know if it was the right time but that was moot now, leave it to Jiraiya. "And? What does this all mean to you?"

The color in Naruto's eyes seemed to change somewhat, darkening. "It means that I'm not an unwanted orphan, that I was always important to someone, that fate was cruel but I _was_ loved, even if only for one day." He said quietly, looking at the floor.

Tsunade's heart broke, if she could scoop him up and make everything go away she would have done it, she would have done anything to change Naruto's life in that moment. It wasn't fair, and fate was cruel, but she knew that as well as anyone just like she knew that she couldn't change anything. "I'm so sorry Naruto…" she said quietly.

Naruto looked up, the sparkle returned to his bottomless blue eyes in an instant, "It's OK Tsunade-chan. I finally know who I am now, and I've spent the last year honoring my parents by becoming the best Shinobi I can be, BELIEVE IT!"

Tsunade smiled, "_What a kid, no wonder everyone loves you so much. Maybe this was exactly what you needed, you're finally maturing."_

She continued, "Well then, that still leaves my original question doesn't it? Where did that burst of incredible speed come from?"

"I think I better take this one," Jiraiya finally piped up. "To make a long story short, a few months ago I completed Minato's seal and permanently merged his chakra with the nine-tails fox. Ever since then, his abilities have grown by leaps and bounds!"

"You did what?!" Tsunade blurted out, she looked ready to punch the abused Shinobi again.

"Hold on let me explain!" Jiraiya pleaded, backing up just in case. "In those years studying the seal I learned a great deal about it."

"What could you have possibly learned that would have possessed you to screw with _THAT_ seal?" she demanded.

Jiraiya tried not to look offended, "Haven't you ever noticed that Naruto's the only Jinchuuriki you've ever heard of that fights like a normal Shinobi?"

The question vexed her for a moment, sure she had never meet another Jinchuuriki before, there weren't exactly Shinobi with demons sealed inside them on every street corner after all. But she had read about them extensively just because of Naruto. But now that Jiraiya mentioned it everything she had ever read about the fighting styles of Jinchuuriki only discussed the powers of the Bijuu trapped inside them, and how the Jinchuuriki channeled those powers in a fight.

"All other Jinchuuriki's fight relying on the power of their Bijuu!" Jiraiya stated proudly, as if that explained anything. "Naruto on the other hand doesn't, he's the only Jinchuuriki in history who can fight by calling upon and molding his own Chakra!"

Tsunade still didn't understand, "What are you getting at?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" Jiraiya asked. "The presence of a Bijuu in one's body is extremely disturbing to a humans normal chakra network, so much so that they can't use it. That's why all Jinchuuriki rely on the power of their Bijuu to fight, because they _have_ too. But Minato did it differently, he didn't seal all of the Kyuubi's chakra in Naruto, only the Yang!"

Tsunade's mind called upon her extensive knowledge of chakra and the human body as she considered the implications, "_Now that __**is**__ interesting, normally yin and yang don't play a big part in chakra usage or jutsu, but they must both be present of course for balance. Without balance, using chakra is nearly impossible, like peddling a bike with only one leg."_

"Wait, " she said, thinking out loud. "Are you saying…?"

"Yes! " the excited Sanin continued, "By only sealing the Yang chakra in Naruto, his body was able to assimilate his Bijuu very differently! The presence of the nine-tails yang chakra in his body caused Naruto's body to produce less and less of its own yang chakra each year, being replaced by the yang chakra of the nine-tails. And his Yin Chakra then strengthened in response to the new more powerful Yang chakra flooding his system, it was looking for balance! And finally a few months ago his own Yang chakra disappeared completely!"

"Completely?" Tsunade asked shocked, "but without _any_ yang chakra of his own was he able to mold chakra?"

"No." Naruto cut in, "I wasn't, my abilities as a Shinobi vanished that day."

Tsunade was stunned, "_Had the 4th known this would happen? What a terrible risk! But it did make sense, by only introducing the fox's yang chakra into his system, Naruto's own yin and yang chakra would seek balance. But once his own yang chakra was gone he wasn't able to control his remaining yin chakra and therefore couldn't call upon his powers nor the nine-tails either."_

Jiraiya sensed her thoughts and filled in the rest, "By leaving the seal unfinished Minato must have known what would happen. He left the key to me hoping that I would figure it out, and that I would complete the seal once Naruto's chakra system had completely remolded itself to find true balance with the fox's presence. Then and only then the seal could be finished, their chakra's perfectly merged, and the first Jinchuuriki who had truly assimilated their Bijuu would be born!"

Tsunade flopped back in her chair, "_Incredible..._ _I guess you weren't the 4th Hokage for nothing."_ She thought to herself.

She looked up, "So what was the end result? Just speed? There has to more to it than just that."

"Well," Naruto responded, "It was like a marching band that had been playing in my head suddenly went quiet. I had no idea how easy you 'normal's' had it!" Naruto was smiling.

Tsunade stared at him, "**Normal's?**"

"It's like I said," Jiraiya butted in. "The presence of two chakra systems in one body is very disrupting, especially the chaotic chakra of something like the nine-tails. Even with only half its chakra inside of him, it made molding his own chakra very difficult for Naruto. It's amazing he was able to become an accomplished Shinobi at all when you think about. Didn't it ever seem strange to you that the son of 4th Hokage, the most talented Shinobi in the history of our village barely made it through the Academy?

"_Good point, never thought of it that way."_ Tsunade thought.

"I guess I never noticed the interference because it was always there." Naruto added. "But I sure noticed when it was gone! Controlling my chakra and performing jutsu is sooooo much easier now."

"Yes his skills and control have improved greatly since then, and that display of speed you saw today … remind you of anyone?" Jiraiya asked coyly.

"His father…." Tsunade breathed. Naruto beamed. It made his heart soar to hear her compare him to his legendary father.

"There's one other change," Jiraiya started. "As if he didn't have enough chakra already, his chakra capacity has increased dramatically." Tsunade's eyes widened, that was to be expected given everything she had already learned, but it hadn't occurred to her to ask, it was just so much information.

"How much more?" she asked, eyeing the young genin.

"It's hard to say exactly." Naruto chimed in. "I certainly don't have access to all the chakra the fox had, but I'd say that I have something like ten to twenty times what I used to."

Tsunade gasped, the boy's chakra capacity and therefore his stamina were already almost legendary, but at ten to twenty times he was a nearly bottomless pit! "My God! There's no precedent for this! The techniques you could develop…"

"Actually, I haven't quite got the hang of controlling it all just yet." Naruto interrupted.

"What do you mean? The nine-tails chakra?" she asked.

"There is no distinct nine-tails chakra anymore, just like there's no distinct Naruto chakra either. Their chakra's have merged and formed a new chakra with its own character." Jiraiya explained.

"That also makes sense, but he sure looked like he had control to me!" she responded.

"Yes, while he's largely become accustomed to this new chakra, it's the amount that's the problem on occasion. You see having more chakra then nature intended is nice of course, but his body wasn't designed for it and can only channel so much at one time. When he tries to use very large amounts of chakra for jutsu that _he knows_ he shouldn't be doing," Jiraiya said as he shot a glance over at Naruto. "…he can sometimes lose control."

"Hey! Come on Jiraiya-sensei, I don't lose it that often!" Naruto protested.

Tsunade eyed Naruto with a worried look, "Lose control? What happens when he loses control?"

"It's no big deal!" Naruto said. "It's just that _sometimes_ the technique has a tendency to backfire on me that's all. Geeesh Jiraiya-sensei no need to worry her, hasn't happened in a month."

"Naruto! That's nothing to sneeze at!" Tsunade admonished him. "Losing control of a jutsu like that can be deadly! You need to be careful until your body can handle all of that chakra of yours."

"Naruto knows what jutsu's are still beyond him." Jiraiya assured her. "And his control improves every day, I think we could all see that in today's little test."

"Well good, he's of no use if he goes and blows himself up." Tsunade took a moment to take everything in, then she turned back to Naruto. "You've got quite a future ahead of you Naruto Uzumaki…"

"That's Namikaze." Naruto cut her off.

Tsunade blinked, "That's right isn't it?"

"It's tradition for a son to take the name of his father I'm told. And Jiraiya-sensei has also informed me of a family home that needs to be unsealed," Naruto broke into a wide smile, "I'm going home Tsunade…"

Tsunade drew herself to her full height and planted her fists on her hips smiling back at him, "Yes you are, Naruto Namikaze, welcome home."


	5. The Definition of Courage

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Hinata turns to her sensei for help, but jutsu aren't the problem.

**Notes: **This chapter was originally dropped from the story but I've added it back in to help develop Hinata's character and explain her behavior. It's a short chapter but necessary, enjoy!

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Chapter 5 – The Definition of Courage

* * *

Kurenai barely heard the knock on her door it was so faint. She walked over to the front door placed her palm on it. Reaching out she sensed a familiar presence on the other side. "Hinata?" She opened the door and invited her student in.

"Thank you for seeing me so late Kurenai-sensei." She said.

Kurenai would have been annoyed with anyone else but she had an unusually strong attachment to Hinata. The poor girl was almost too sweet to be a ninja and because of it she was largely ostracized by her oppressive father Hiashi. Most Hyuuga are trained solely by other members of the family to try and protect the secrets of their most prized possession, the Byakugan. But Hinata's father Hiashi thought she was so weak as to be useless and refused to waste his time training her. When Kurenai first offered to train Hinata he told her that she was a fool for bothering right in front of the poor girl. Oh she'd train Hinata she decided in that moment, and she's make sure that Hinata wiped that arrogant sneer off his face!

"No problem Hinata, what is it that has you out so late?" she asked.

"Well … I know it's not really something that a student would ask a sensei but there's really no one at my house that I can talk to about this kind of stuff you see …"

"Spit it out Hinata."

Hinata looked at Kurenai with a sudden sense of excitement and dread, "Naruto's back Kurenai-sensei! I need to do something but I don't know what!"

Kurenai smiled in understanding, she knew about Hinata's crush on Naruto for several years now. In fact she was a little sad when Naruto left the village because of how much fun it was to watch the two together. Hinata was so love struck that she could barely function, and Naruto was so oblivious that he could never figure out what was wrong with her.

But then the chuunin exams, Naruto took notice of Hinata then and the attention changed her personality forever. Kurenai saw it all happen although she didn't grasp the significance at the time. But ever since the exams Hinata was a very different kunoichi, she didn't give up, she didn't back down, and she worked harder than both her teammates combined. Kurenai thanked Naruto under her breath on more than occasion watching the young girl overcome adversity, and now that he was back she wondered what other effects his presence might have on her favorite student.

"Are you asking me for advice on how to get Naruto to notice you?"

Hinata blushed a deep red and her voice nearly disappeared, "Y … Yes Kurenai-sensei."

Kurenai sighed, she wasn't exactly a dating machine herself. She'd tried a few but relationships were never really her thing, genjutsu and her life as a shinobi were her true loves. But looking into Hinata's eyes she just couldn't say no, the poor girl really needed some help even if it only was her confidence around boys that was the problem.

"Well first of all you need to quit doing that!" Kurenai said in a loud voice. "Boys notice girls that make them take notice!"

"Oh!" Hinata yelped at the sudden increase in volume.

"I've seen you show incredible courage on the battlefield Hinata, even risking your own life when the situation called for it. But when it comes to boys you're like a mouse, you really need to get over that!"

Hinata looked at her teacher and tried to straighten up, "I … I can try sensei."

"Don't try Hinata, just do it!"

"I just don't know if I can! I think I'm going to be Ok but then whenever I see Naruto-kun I just get dizzy and I can't speak. It's like he paralyzes me."

"Hmmmmm, is there anyone you know that doesn't have that problem around the boys? A girl you know that does what you wish you could do?"

Hinata puzzled for a moment, "Well there is one girl, her name is **Ino Yamanaka. She's always going on lots of dates and things and she never seems to be scared of the boys. In fact they seem more scared of her sometimes."**

**_"Ino Yamanaka? Geeez Hinata, you could sure find a lot better role model than that girl. But I suppose when it comes to manipulating boys she's as good as any."_**** Kurenai thought.**

"Ok, here's what I want you to do, I want you to imagine that you're Ino Yamanaka the next time you see Naruto. You do what she would do, you don't do what you would you do."

"Don't do … what I would do." Hinata repeated. "Are you sure that will work?"

"Of course I'm sure that'll work. Do you know how many men try to hit on me?" she asked.

Hinata's eyes got wide, "N … No Kurenai-sensei. Is it a lot?"

"Are you kidding? I practically have to beat them off with a stick most days. You may not know it but your sensei is some hot shit when it comes to the boys." She stated proudly.

"Oh, I guess I just never knew or anything, I've never seen you with anyone …"

"Hey, are you gonna take shots at me or take my advice?"

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I really do appreciate your help sensei I do. I just hope I can follow it when I see Naruto and make him notice me. I just need to be like Ino right?"

"Exactly! Now let's try a little practice run shall we? I'll be Naruto and you're going to be Ino, got it?"

"O .. Ok sensei, but I don't really think I want Ino to date Naruto-kun."

"No! I'm going to pretend to be Naruto so you can practice _pretending_ to be Ino for confidence, _got it?"_

"Yes I got it!" Hinata answered quickly. "All this talk about Naruto is making me nervous, I'm sorry."

"All right, here we go…"

"Hey Hinata how's it going? Are you training hard?" Kurenai/Naruto asked.

"Uhh … Yes K, I mean Naruto-kun. Ummmm, how about you? Are you training ha…"

"Oh ya!" Kurenai/Naruto cut in. "I've been training like crazy, I'm sooo strong look at my muscles! Huh! Ya! Grrr.."

Kurenai was flexing her biceps for all she was worth. She looked up at her student who was now just staring at her with a crooked look on her face. Kurenai realized how ridiculous she must look and couldn't help cracking a smile. Hinata's face contorted even more as she struggled to stop the corners of her lips from turning up. Kurenai tried not to breath but her diaphragm forced a chuckle through her constricted throat and it came out sounding like something between a snort and a hiccup. Both girls instantly lost all control and fell to the floor laughing hysterically.

"Oh my GOD sensei! Boys really are like that aren't they!" Hinata squealed.

"Oh my … Oh my … Oh my yes they are! They're so pathetic!" Kurenai laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. She tried in vain to wipe the tears from her eyes, "Oh crap, that didn't really work out so well did it?" She looked over at Hinata and saw real relief for the first time on the girls face.

"_Well that's something then isn't it?"_ she thought. "_The poor thing, she's never had a mother or any other women to talk to about these things."_

Hinata's finally got control of her giggles, "Thank you Kurenai-sensei, I feel a lot better now. I guess I just needed someone to talk to, it's always so hard for me to express my feelings you know?"

"I know Hinata, believe me I've been there. So do you think you're going to be Ok?"

"I think so, I'll just pretend that I'm Ino, but only for confidence right?"

"Right." Kurenai smiled. "There's one other thing of course, have you given any thought to what you're going to do if Naruto tries to kiss you?"

Hinata started turning a bright red again, "Oh God no! I don't think he would ever want to do that Kurenai-sensei …"

"Ah ha! You're not thinking like Ino are you? Ino would expect Naruto to try and kiss her, and should would have decided what she was going to do about even before the date."

"Do you really think I'm pretty enough for him that he would want to kiss me?"

Kurenai's face suddenly contorted in dismay, "Hinata! That's it girl! I've heard more than enough of this shit! Get over in front of that mirror right now!" she yelled.

Hinata's face went rigid and she ran in front of the mirror as she was instructed. "Now take off that hockey jersey you're hiding behind!" Hinata unzipped her jacket and threw it on the floor. "Ditch the shirt!"

Hinata glanced over at her sensei, "M … My shirt?"

"Your shirt!" she replied loudly. Hinata complied and took off her shirt, throwing it on top of the jacket. She crossed her arms across her chest instinctively feeling the cool air of the room on her chest. "And the pants …" Hinata threw a wide eyed stare over at Kurenai this time but she could see her sensei meant business. Hinata gulped hard and pulled her pants down, she tossed them aside and stared at the floor.

"Now," Kurenai said gently as she walked over behind Hinata. "Look at the girl in the mirror." Hinata raised her head slightly and glanced up at her reflection feeling exposed and embarrassed. Kurenai took Hinata's hair in hands and started gathering it together, "Look _up_ Hinata, and don't be embarrassed, put your arms down and look at yourself."

Hinata slowly raised her head straight up and watched Kurenai finish putting her hair up into a simple bun. Kurenai produced a chopstick out of nowhere and put it through the bun to hold it in place. With a nod she stepped back, "So, do you see her?" she asked.

Hinata looked at the girl in the mirror, wearing nothing but her underwear she was exposed, she was vulnerable, … she was beautiful. Her toned legs swept up to her curvaceous hips, her tiny waist and flat stomach gave definition and support to her large supple breasts. With her hair up her large lavender eyes exploded with definition, and the wisps of hair that escaped Kurenai's bun hung down emphasizing the delicate curves of her long neck. Hinata's eye's misted over, "Sh … she's beautiful Kurenai-sensei."

"Do you know what the definition of courage is Hinata?"

"The definition?"

"The definition of courage is to face that which you truly fear. And I know that when the time is right, your courage will conquer all your fears."

Hinata smiled at the girl in the mirror, she widened her stance at threw her hands to her hips, "You're right Kurenai-sensei! I am beautiful, and I am courageous, and I'm going to make Naruto mine!"

"Good for you Hinata! Now get your clothes on, people are gonna think weirder things are going on in here than there already are."

"Oh! Yes sensei!"

"Oh and one other thing, if really want to land a boy you have to dress for the occasion."


	6. Home at Last

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Naruto begins his search for himself by searching the past. A chance encounter tests Hinata's new resolve.

**Notes: **One of my longest chapters yet. Just a warning, when I bring in secondary characters like I do in this chapter they can sometimes be very OOC! It's just for fun since they're immaterial to the story line anyways.

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Chapter 6 - Home at last

* * *

"Now where is it?" Naruto asked himself. He was walking down Fudo street looking for the address Tsunade had given him. A bit off the beaten path Fudo was once prime real estate in Konoha, many of the homes had held audience to the most notable shinobi of the day. But as the natural expansion of the village pulled the town center farther and farther away from Fudo street it and the surrounding areas fell on hard times. Naruto of course was blissfully unaware of Fudo's colorful history as he came to a stop in front of an obviously abandoned house.

"So this is it!" Naruto shouted. "Oh man … this is _it?_" He stood in front of what was his parents home, the Namikaze family home. It was totally overgrown by weeds and brush, and the color was difficult to distinguish because of the thick layer of dirt covering the outside. There were boards in all the windows and a rusty gate out front swung in the breeze hanging from its last hinge. Tsunade had told him that the home was cleaned once in a while, but standing here in front of the evidence Naruto was beginning to doubt that very much. "Wow, this is dirty even for my standards!" he said giving a low whistle.

As he entered the yard Naruto could see the house itself a little better. It certainly wasn't a large home, maybe 4 bedrooms from the look of it, Tsunade had told him that the 3rd Hokage had the entire property cleaned and sealed immediately after the 4th Hokage's death. As far as anyone outside a privileged few knew, the property belonged to an extinct family and would have been auctioned off by the village. But the 3rd had held the property in his family trust and made sure it stayed unoccupied, waiting for its rightful owner.

Walking up to the door Naruto wondered for a moment if he would have any memories of this place, but no, they never had a chance to bring him home. He inserted the key and gave it a twist, with an audible 'Clack!", the old lock gave way. He pushed the door open and peered inside, there wasn't much light entering the home because of the boarded windows but what did make it in was only enough to give the space a creepy horror movie kind of look. The furniture was covered in plastic, and a thick layer of dust covered absolutely everything. It had obviously not be cleaned recently. "Sssh … Tsunade …" He walked inside the home and found himself in the great room, the kitchen was open and visible from here to the right, and a hallway to his left obviously lead off to the bedrooms. Straight across the room was a large set of doors that looked like they opened out to the back.

"_Well I better get started…"_ he thought. Naruto went outside and around the house taking down all the boards that had been nailed over the windows. There was one window that was broken so he left it boarded up. When he reentered he could see much better thanks to all the natural daylight, but somehow it actually made the dingy house look slightly worse. He decided that exploring the structure was going to take priority over cleaning it up to see if he could find anything that might have been left by his parents. He went slowly cataloging everything he saw in his mind, looking for anything personal that might give him a feeling of his parents. The first find took only a few moments, in the great room above the fireplace hung a frame with a blanket over it. When Naruto pulled down the dusty old blanket he was rewarded with a large picture, thought he didn't know it at the time it would be the only portrait of his parents together that he would ever see.

A portrait showed his parents dressed in their formal shinobi uniforms, his father wore a traditional blue Konoha uniform complete with the trademark sandy grey vest wrapped in a white cloak, and his mother wore a less traditional black and mesh kunoichi uniform with a brown cloak that covered only her left shoulder. Though he had never seen her likeness before there was no doubt about her identity. She was beautiful, her short red hair fell forward covering one of her eyes, and despite her warm smile she looked determined and dangerous. His father stood to her back looking over his shoulder at the camera, his spiky blond hair reminded Naruto of his own, and so did his eyes…

"How did I miss it?" Naruto asked himself. The similarities were so obvious now of course, but he never would have seen it back when he was younger anyways. He only had a mind for the future and cared nothing for a past that he tried every day to forget. "_It's so strange how some things change._" He thought. "_I wonder what they were like?"_

After cleaning up the portrait a bit he continued his search through the house and turned up two other interesting items, the first was a large steel door located in the back of an office, some kind of vault, it was securely locked so he would have to ask the 5th about that. The other was in a closet, there hanging for the last 17 years still covered in plastic from the cleaners were two white cloaks … with flames caressing the bottom hem. Naruto recognized them instantly as his father's from the picture in the great room. He considered putting one on but couldn't decide, what would people think?

Naruto looked at himself in the mirror, he had updated his trademark orange and black jumpsuit, but still, it just looked shabby compared to his father's image. He _did_ want to change his image, and changing on the outside might help people see his change on the inside. "Well Dad, how about I just take the hint and update my wardrobe?" Naruto asked the mirror. The only answer he got was his own sneeze, "And pick up some cleaning supplies while I'm at it…"

* * *

Naruto entered the supply shop with a little bit of hesitation. "Hello?" he called out.

"In here you idiot …" came the gruff reply.

"Ibiki Morino … " Naruto sighed. "Now I remember why I never come in here."

Ibiki had been the instructor in charge of the first phase of his sabotaged Chuunin exams 3 years prior. The psychological test was designed to weed out shinobi who couldn't '_gather information surreptitiously in a controlled setting_' as Ibiki would call it. Naruto called it '_sneaky crap 101 for ninja who couldn't cut it on the battlefield_'. Naruto passed the test without completing any single task at all, he simply sweated it out and stubbornly refused to leave, exposing the single flaw in Ibiki's test. When Ibiki found out that Naruto passed his 'Master' test by doing nothing at all he realized how pointless it really was and never told anyone. Naruto on the other hand told everyone he knew how he beat old man Ibiki's '_sneaky crap' _test with one hand tied behind his back. Word got out the most clueless ninja of the year outsmarted Ibiki and the other instructors never let him live it down. By the next year his test had been replaced by a surfing contest at the hidden village of the wave and Ibiki retired in embarrassment.

"_I wonder what they did the year after that? …"_ Naruto always wondered. He had heard the exams rotated to the village hidden in the rocks the next year.

"You haven't even been in the village for the last 3 years from what I hear, that's why you never come in here … idiot."

Naruto walked up to the counter and looked the retired jounin in the eye, "Still upset about the Chuunin exams huh? I would have thought a big tough shinobi like you would have thicker skin than that. It was just one question …"

"And you didn't answer it! You didn't answer any of the questions! You didn't even try to copy any answers from another student! I never should of passed an idiot like you." He growled.

"Well how about you make a halfway decent ninja out of me with some proper new attire?" Naruto asked.

"You have money?"

"You bet! I haven't had too many places to spend my wages lately and…"

"Well why didn't you say so!" Ibiki exploded. "What's your size? Mens large by now right? Medium? Of course, of course, these right here. And that vest is all the rage these days with the kunoichi! Can't go without that!"

"No … wait … I …" Naruto tried but it was too late. The whirlwind that was Ibiki was off and shopping without him. "Man I hope he grabs me a traditional blue…" Naruto said to himself dejectedly.

* * *

As Naruto exited the store he couldn't even see over the top of all his baggage. "I can't believe Ibiki got me to buy so much stuff!" he said. "Oh crap … The top ones moving. The top ones moving!" Naruto danced to the right trying to keep the ridiculous stack from falling when he ran straight into some poor bystander. The miniature mountain collapsed in on him and Naruto was buried in his own purchases along with a few of the unfortunate strangers.

"Oh! N … Naruto-kun!" a familiar voice stuttered. "Are you OK?"

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto barked as he popped up through pile. "I'm so sorry I ran into you! I think I over did it on my shopping trip." He said with a sheepish smile.

"Thank you, come again idiot!" a voice rang out from the shop.

"Oh!" Hinata gasped looking in the direction of rude storefront. "What was…"

"Oh that's nothing Hinata-chan don't pay any attention!" Naruto answered her unfinished question. "It's an inside joke, we go way back the shop owner and I, he he he …"

"_Thanks a lot Ibiki! Now we're even."_

Naruto turned back to Hinata eager to change the subject, "Say, I've been meaning to talk to you again anyways to setup to time to train together, are you still up for that?"

"Y … Yes of course Naruto-kun." She replied blushing slightly.

"_Damn it! I'm still blushing like an idiot, I haven't had enough time yet to practice in front of the mirror!"_

Naruto studied Hinata for the second time since returning to the village and found himself taken aback by her delicate features yet again. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it but there was something about her… She looked away to avoid his gaze as Naruto's brain registered the awkward pause and prompted him to speak.

"So guess what?" he said, not really sure what he was going to say.

Hinata looked up, "W...What is it Naruto-kun?"

"Wha … Oh! I'll tell you what it is, it's a house! I own a house!" he said triumphantly.

"Really?" she asked, her shyness forgotten for a moment. "It's all yours?"

"You bet! I'm on my way there now to get it cleaned up. You've got to come with and check it out!"

"Sure…" Hinata stammered. "If you want to show me that is…"

"_Yes!"_ her mind screamed, "_Invite us over and take advantage of us! We've got some lingerie in that bag right over there!"_

Hinata lunged toward Naruto and the pile of shopping bags so quickly that Naruto thought for a moment the training was already beginning. He jumped backwards out of the pile and landed 5 meters away in a classic defensive stance only to see Hinata grab several bags and loose items and turn around quickly to pack them back up. "I'd love to see your place…" She called over her shoulder.

"Great!" Naruto beamed. "Do you need any help with your stuff?"

Hinata turned beat red and began repacking her purchases even faster, "No thanks I've got it Naruto-kun, just some cloths and things…" she said trailing off.

He looked down at the remaining pile of baggage, "Ummm, I don't suppose you could help me carry some of my stuff could you? I still need to get cleaning supplies…"

* * *

Once they got back to the house Naruto created twenty shadow clones to help with the cleaning and gave each of them their orders. About half took the outside and the other half would tackle the inside with Naruto and Hinata. Naruto smirked to himself, that many would have taken a little out of him before, but now it was just a drop in the bucket.

Hinata looked wide eyed at small army of Naruto's, "_Oh my God is it sexy when he does that_!_"_

They decided to take the kitchen while the clones took the rest of house so Hinata began cleaning out the cupboards out while Naruto started on the floor. He was about to start mixing some detergent when he watched her stretch for an old coffee mug on the top shelf that looked just out of her reach.

On her tip toes Hinata had her attention focused squarely on the old mug, because of this she neither sensed nor heard Naruto approach from behind. When she felt Naruto's hand touch the small of her back she instantly tensed, not sure what to do but definitely not wanting his hand to leave she didn't move at all.

"Let me help you with that…" Naruto said as he moved up closer behind her. With one hand still on Hinata's back he reached up to grab the old mug for her. As his hand found the cool porcelain he was also forced to stretch upward and his body drew up against hers in the process.

"_Oh my God…"_ Hinata's mind raced and she closed her eyes reveling in feeling Naruto's body pressed up against hers. She could feel the lean muscles in his chest and stomach moving against her, while his hips spooned her behind with a delicious constant pressure. Her eyes started to glaze over when her stomach began performing it's all too familiar somersaults, "_Oh shit…"_

Naruto didn't want to be a rude host, so he dashed over to help Hinata with the mug. He had placed his hand on her instinctively as he reached up, but as he grabbed the cup he realized that he had just trapped her body between his own and the countertop, and that his innocent help had just become very personal. His mind seemed to abandon his other senses as it focused every shred of consciousness on the touch Hinata. She felt warm and soft against his harder and more chiseled frame, the gentle curve of her back pressed lightly against his stomach but her shapely behind arced out and pressed firmly against his hips. As she shifted slightly underneath him he realized he could feel every movement in her entire body.

Reflexively he pulled the mug down and he felt her relax and lean back against him increasing the pressure. Naruto's mind exploded with sensory overload as she slowly slid down his chest, his stomach, … his legs? _Thud! _

"Hinata? Hinata?! Are you OK?!"

* * *

Hinata sipped at the water Naruto brought her. "I'm sorry I passed out Naruto-kun," she apologized.

"_Yeah right,"_ she thought. _"You shouldn't be apologizing to him, you should be apologizing to your poor neglected body!"_

"Hey no problem Hinata-chan." Naruto said. "Just means I get to spend more time with you right? And the clones don't mind taking care of the kitchen." He glanced over the top of the couch to see 3 shadow clones giving him the finger. Naruto's eyes narrowed and one of them suddenly burst from existence, the other two jumped back to cleaning with a vengeance.

He turned back to his guest, "Besides, I remember you used to have that problem a lot when you were a kid, guess you haven't quite grown out of it." Naruto chuckled inwardly, so that's why she always fainted around him!

"_How was I ever so clueless?"_ he thought. Ever since merging with the nine-tails and taking his ninja training more seriously he had focused on something that had never occurred to him before, his mind! Aside from studying the art of seals with Jiraiya-sensei he had spent a lot of time learning how to see what Kakashi would have called _'that which was_ u_nderneath the underneath'_. Hinata was obviously interested in him, which was good since he was obviously interested in her. But he could clearly see now that she had been infatuated with him since they were little kids, _"Amazing…."_

Seeing Naruto lost in thought Hinata interrupted the silence, "So how did you get this place?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment and thought about how to answer that. "_Tsunade never said anything about that, I've been kept a secret from the entire village for all these years, should I not say anything?"_

Naruto looked over at her with a thoughtful look on his face, "If you promise you can keep a secret I'll tell you Hinata because I trust you, but for now I'd prefer if you didn't tell people you knew anything until I have a chance to ask the 5th what I should do." he said.

Hinata beamed, "_First he pinned me in the kitchen, now he's going to trust me with a secret between him and the Hokage? This is best day of my life!"_

"Take a look at the picture above the fireplace, tell me what you see…" Naruto said.

Hinata stood up and walked over the portrait, it was of two Shinobi, a man and a woman. She had red hair, almond shaped eyes, and a beautifully mysterious look. The man was downright smoking! He wore a traditional uniform and a very fetching white cloak. "_What a hottie!"_ she thought. "_This guy could give Naruto-kun a run for his money, strong chin, gorgeous face, and that long spiky blond hair just covering his deep blue eyes…"_ Hinata gasped.

"So you see it?" Naruto asked.

She turned to look a Naruto again and then back at the portrait, there was no mistaking it. She would have missed it before but with his face being more defined and his hair being longer now then when they were kids it hung just in front of those same deep blue eyes. "Naruto-kun! Is…Who is that man?"

"My father." He finished for her.

"But you were an orphan! How did you find them? Who are they? Wh.." she rambled, there were so many questions racing through her mind. "Why were you alone your whole life?!"

"They're dead." He said flatly.

She stopped with a sharp intake of air, "_Of course! That's why he's an orphan you idiot!" _

"Oh, I'm so sorry Naruto-kun… I.." she stammered.

Naruto flashed a big smile, "Hey don't worry about it Hinata-chan! I've lived my entire life without them and I turned out fine, I have lots of people in my life now, Kakashi-sensei, my teammates, Jiraiya-sensei, and you!"

Hinata blushed wildly at that last part, he actually said she was part of his life! She could feel her temperature start to rise. "_Show your courage Hinata! Tell him how you feel! Or better yet show him how you feel! Just jump on top of him rip his clothes off and show him! That's what that slut Ino would do!__!"_ her mind screamed.

"But now I've found them now, and I guess that's all I could ask for." Naruto said. "There's not a lot left here at the house, but I plan on doing some research to find out more when I have time."

Hinata shook her head trying to clear it out, "Uh, … Do you know their names?"

"Their names are Minato and Kushina, but remember not to tell anyone that yet." He said.

She nodded in response. "_Minato and Kushina … that sounds so familiar, where do I know those names from?"_

"Oh wow look at that it's getting late, did you want to get some dinner or something?"

"What time is it?" Hinata asked wildly.

"It's eight."

"_Damn it! I have to get home soon for my cousin's graduation ceremony. But that's OK, it just gives me more time to get ready. Now, how would Ino leave him? Wanting! That's how she'd leave him. Oh God I hope I can do this …"_

With her heart racing Hinata smiled and walked straight toward him. She got just slightly too close and gently placed her hand on Naruto's chest. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I really have to get going for the night, it's a family thing I can't get out of. Did you still want to train together sometime?"

Naruto blushed a deep red, "Oh s … sure!" he stammered.

"That's great Naruto-kun, we've been in a standby mode anyways. There's a training ground on the north side of the Chunin training area that I know we can use." She replied.

"_More like I know we'll be alone…"_ she thought smiling.

"Perfect." Naruto said. "_Why is she smiling like that?"_

Hinata gave him one last glance and walked over to the door, when she got there she looked at him and waited for him to get the door. Naruto realized what she was waiting for and raced over to open it. As she walked out to the sidewalk his eyes wandered down to her shapely behind. _"Wow, as the pervy sage would say, she looks as good going as she does c… Ah Man! I finally get what that means! That guy really is a perv …"_

Grinning ear to ear Hinata began her walk home. When she heard the door close she turned to make sure he wasn't watching. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" she screamed in a whisper jumping up and down. "I did it! I did it! I found my courage!"

Suddenly she remembered something, something important, "Byakugan!" With her Byakugan activated she could see inside the house and observe it's lone occupant. Naruto was fixing himself a cup of ramen for dinner. "Gold, still glowing a faint gold…"

She couldn't understand it, every time she looked at Naruto with her Byakugan all she could clearly see was a golden glow. She tried to recall everything she knew about the mechanics of the Byakugan. Normally chakra looked blue to the Byakugan, she had never seen any other color, not only that but most shinobi only showed chakra flow when they were using jutsu, yet Naruto seemed to have some chakra flowing through his body even when he was relaxing. But the more disturbing thing was how his golden chakra seemed to blur in her vision, the flow was difficult to understand and his chakra points were hard to pin down. Her eyes darted to the left, and what was that weird room?

* * *

Across the street crouching in the bushes, Sakura watched Hinata carefully. She had been headed home from the Hokage's tower when she saw Hinata exiting the abandoned house, well what she thought was an abandoned house. She was actually about to call out to her and wave when she realized what house she was looking at and her curiosity got the better of her. Abandoned since she could remember, she and her friends had joked about the ghosts that must have haunted old place to keep it empty for so many years, it had even been the subject of a few dares. But it wasn't abandoned anymore, there in the doorway waving to the departing kunoichi was Naruto!

"What the hell is going on?" she whispered to herself. _"_And what is Hinata jumping up and down for? For that matter what are they doing together in the first place? Did that idiot buy a house? How could he afford that? And why did he invite her over and not me? I'm his teammate!"

This was annoying, Sakura hated being left out of anything not to mention the fact Naruto had spent his entire childhood trying to date her and now he was back in town one day and already entertaining other girls behind her back! _"You're being ridiculous Sakura."_ She told herself. "_You're not interested in Naruto anyways, it doesn't matter how much he's changed. Sasuke is still out there and he's your true love!"_

Satisfied with her logic she nodded to herself and headed the other way, _"_Guess I'll take the scenic route home."


	7. Hinata's Wild Side

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Hinata tries to break out of her shell, Naruto tries to find himself, and Sakura tries to find him too.

**Notes: **So this chapter has been updated to reflect Hinata's new self, it feels like it works a lot better now. Game on Hinata! If you read the old version then just re-read the first 2 paragraphs, and the scene where Hinata makes her move.

* * *

Chapter 7 – Hinata's wild side

* * *

Hinata needed to get dressed. She finished toweling off from her shower and walked over to the closet. Tossing the towel aside she stared at her naked self in the mirror, she'd been doing that most of the night. If she could be comfortable with herself naked then there was nothing that should bother her she reasoned. Actually, the more time she spent naked the more she found she preferred it. Early in the evening she just walked past the mirror every few minutes. But by the time she actually went to bed she was flexing, posing, and checking out every angle of her newly discovered body. It was like a dam burst and her lifetime of repression just came gushing out. It was just so delicious being so naughty!

Giving herself one last wink she opened the closet doors to reveal her ninja attire, pants, shirts, belts and jackets. The naked kunoichi smiled and shoved the cloths aside. Reaching back behind them she found the shopping bags she had hidden the night before. She wasn't going to wear her normal uniform on her first day training with Naruto!

She rifled through the bags and pulled out two pairs of underwear, a sexy but conservative black pair, and a racy red thong. She couldn't decide between the two in the store and she wasn't having any more luck this morning.

"OK," she said to herself. "What's the purpose of today? The purpose of today is to get Naruto-kun to fall in love with me…" Her eyes settled on the black pair. "Or lust, whichever comes first!" She grabbed the thong and pulled it on. "_Whoa! Gonna have to get used to the feel of that!"_ she thought.

She grabbed the new kunoichi shorts next. They were much sleeker and form fitting then her normal pants, but more importantly they revealed much more leg. She slid into them admiring the silky feeling of the new material against her skin. "_Wow these are nice, I should have tried them years ago!"_ she thought. Hinata looked at herself in the mirror and turned around to see how show looked from behind, "_Very Nice…ass is tight, no muffin top!"_

Next she reached into the bag and pulled out a little black bra, pulling it on and clasping the back she grabbed her breasts and tugged them into proper position. They were nearly spilling out of the tiny garment so she twisted and jiggled a bit just to make sure nothing would pop out before she wanted. She then donned her normal black mesh top, and strapped up her new knee high boots. She finished the outfit by taping her kunai holder to her left leg and jumped in front of the mirror.

"I have to admit," she said taking in the new Hinata. "I look hot!" The new boots and shorts framed her thighs very nicely, and the mesh top did nothing to hide her washboard stomach and ample breasts. It was actually a little sluttier than she anticipated.

"Perfect! If this doesn't do nothing will!" She proclaimed. Grabbing her normal oversized jacket and zipping it all the way up she headed out the door, better not to let her family see her like this!

* * *

Naruto unwrapped his new cloths, traditional blue with the exception of a slate grey vest. "Thank you Ibiki…" he got dressed quickly and looked in the mirror. "Looks good." He told himself. It was the same basic thing Kakashi and Iruka wore, in fact most ninja in Konoha wore this uniform. But something just seemed missing, with one last frown at his reflection he walked over to the closet and threw open the door.

Naruto stared at his father's cloaks, it was one of those questions with no right answers. Would wearing the cloak honor his father or insult his memory? Had he earned it yet? What would Minato want? Giving up on logic Naruto decided to follow his instincts. "Well Dad, I don't know if I can live up to your legacy but we are about the same size!" He grabbed a cloak and threw it over his shoulders. Hooking the quick release clasp he walked past the mirror without bothering to look.

* * *

Ino was working her families flower shop, being a ninja took up most of her time but the family business was something she had been involved with ever since she was a little girl and she did love it. She was just tending to some yellow roses when she saw a young man looking in the window. "_Who's That_?" she thought to herself, "_He's cute.._" Maneuvering around the tulips she tried to get a closer look. He was wearing a white cloak and his thick blond hair was partially obscuring his face, being held up only by his … _Forehead Protector_! "_He's a ninja!"_ she realized, "_But that's a leaf symbol and he looks my age, who in the world is he?_"

The young shinobi suddenly backed away from the window and continued down the street, Ino rushed over to the door and stuck her head outside to get a good look at the retreating stranger. It was difficult to tell much more about him from the back, but his stride was smooth and confident. She wanted to run after him and introduce herself but she couldn't leave the shop unattended. Ino was forced to watch him disappear into the crowd. "I just had to be working today didn't I?"

* * *

Kurenai was reviewing her latest mission reports. She didn't mind paperwork as much as most shinobi, but was no fun either. She found that working on these kinds of things outside in a pleasant spot like the café around the corner from her apartment made the medicine much easier to swallow.

Something white caught her eye and she looked up. When her eyes focused on the object of interest she drew in a sharp breath and held it. There just 30 meters away walked the spitting image of her girlhood crush, the 4th Hokage. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, no, definitely real. He had been dead for nearly 16 years of course, but the joker playing Halloween over there was obviously live and well. "_What an ass!_" she thought angrily. "_Nobody's worn a white fire cloak like that since the 4th Hokage died._ _Just who does this guy think he is?!"_ In a flash of smoke her chair was empty.

"_No way I'm getting her flowers,_" Naruto thought. "_It's training not a date, I'd look like a complete tool…_" He sensed the movement but couldn't quite locate it. Naruto tensed as the an explosion of smoke erupted directly in front him, the trademark result of a body flicker jutsu, he'd know the identity of his fellow shinobi in just a moment. "_Relax Naruto, you're not being attacked by enemy ninja in the middle of the street."_ he told himself. As the smoke cleared he could see two shapely legs resolve themselves. His eyes tracked up and the bare skin gave way to black and white wrappings that disappeared into what would have otherwise been a way too short matching black and white skirt. The stripes continued up the entire length of her outfit which was finished off with red sleeves. Her jet black hair hung over her shoulders and framed a unique set of red eyes. He recognized Kurenai, the leader of team 8, Hinata's team. The problem was she wasn't saying anything. "_She's just staring at me… I guess I better say something,"_

"Hi Kurenai-sensei! What can I do for you?" Naruto asked cheerfully.

Kurenai didn't respond, "_My God he looks just like the 4th!_" she thought. He was too young to actually be the 4th of course, she could see that. But the face, hair, and even his eyes! As she studied his face her brain finally suggested a solution to the mystery, "Naruto? Is that you?!"

"Who did you think it was Kurenai-sensei? I just got back from traveling with Jiraiya-sensei yesterday morning and now I'm off to get a little training in with Hinata-chan, she did tell you didn't she?" he asked.

Kurenai blinked, Hinata had stopped by her house the night before but she failed to mention he looked like this! He was taller than she was now, and looking anything like the 4th Hokage was a huge plus, she like most kunoichi in the village back then spent many afternoons dreaming about that smile. "_So this is Naruto huh? How is it possible that Hinata's the only one who saw this kid?"_

"Eh, Naruto it's nice to see you but I think I need to let in on something…" she said. "That cloak you're wearing… No one in this village has worn anything like it for some time. You see, the 4th Hokage used to wear one just like it and ever since his sacrifice people stopped wearing them."

That surprised Naruto, "R_eally? That explains the stares. Maybe this is just the ticket then, people are going to find out sooner or later…_"

"I don't think he'd mind." Naruto stated simply. "If that's all I really have to get going, I don't want to keep Hinata-chan waiting." And with that Naruto walked around Kurenai and started towards the training grounds.

"_What is that supposed to mean?"_ she wondered. But the curious genin had just walked off without so much as an apology for insulting the memory of the 4th Hokage, and her curiosity was quickly replaced by something else, "_Why that little, disrespectful shit!"_

She spun around, her red eyes flashing, "Naruto Uzumaki! You hold it right there!" Kurenai shouted, gathering the attention of a few passersby. She was going to teach that kid some respect if she had to beat his ass!

Naruto stopped, turned around and saw Kurenai rapidly approaching. "_She's not going to let this go is she? Let's see how she reacts to this…"_

"That's my mother's name." he said. "You can call me Naruto _Namikaze_." Kurenai froze in her tracks and looked into Naruto's eyes with a display of surprise and utter shock that he would never again see on her face.

"_That did it."_ He smirked. Naruto spun on one heal and headed out to the training grounds.

* * *

Hinata was waiting at the rarely used training ground, she had been there for 20 minutes now, but she _was_ 15 minutes early so she couldn't really blame anyone but herself for that one. "_Just try not to look too desperate when he gets here_."

"Hey Hinata-chan!" Naruto called out. He entered the clearing and started walking toward her giving a wave. Hinata started to wave back but then pulled her hand down. "_Who the hell?" _she thought. She worried she might be in the wrong place for a moment because the young man who entered the training area didn't look anything like Naruto. But as he drew nearer Hinata recognized him. "_Oh my God, Jackpot baby!" _She drank in the new Naruto, he finally ditched the old orange and black jumpsuit, not that there was anything wrong with him before of course, and he wore a white cloak with flames that surrounded the bottom edges. He looked incredibly handsome and dangerous at the same time. Her knees began to get weak and she was already having trouble forming words, "_He changed himself for me!_ _Hold it together Hinata, if you pass out on him right now I will never forgive you! Find your Courage!_"

"I'm here Naruto-k..kun!" she called out. Her blush must be visible from the other side of the forest she realized.

As he approached he could see that Hinata had changed from her normal ninja attire as well, she still had on her jacket, but her loose pants and worn shoes had been replaced by form fitting shorts and knee high boots that really showed off her legs. "_Nice Hinata-chan!" _he thought to himself. "_When did you ever get those legs?"_

"So how did you want to start today?" he asked.

"_By tearing your clothes off and performing an in depth physical!"_

"Some light sparring should get us warmed up." She replied.

"Sounds good, I'll let you attack first but I've got to warn you, I've gotten a lot faster and stronger then before! And I don't just let my sparring partners win even if they are beautiful kunoichi."

Hinata blushed again, "Sure thing Naruto but I've got to warn _you_, I know just how to handle shinobi like you …"

"What?"

"Byakugan!" The trademark technique of the Hyuuga clan manifested itself in her eyes, a mass of arteries bulged around the outsides of them to feed the massive additional blood flow they now required, and the normal lavender color faded to an almost flat white.

She used her enhanced vision to analyze his expressions, trying to see what he was thinking. He wasn't kidding, his face showed no fear or doubt, and even thought it was still blurry somehow she could tell his unique golden chakra flowed smoothly throughout his body. She still couldn't make out his chakra points which was a problem, the gentle fist fighting of her family relied on required that she be able to make those out.

"_Oh well, I'm not really here to spar anyways…"_ she grinned.

Naruto took up a defensive stance, "Anytime you're ready Hinata-chan…"

Hinata started trembling, this was it, now or never! Kurenai's voice echoed through her mind "_You've got to dress for the occasion Hinata … So, do you see her?" _She thought back to the mirror, and to the girl staring back at her. She was so beautiful! Hinata found herself captivated with her eyes, eyes that seemed to stare right through her, eyes that were filled with lust.

A rush of heat enveloped her, and Hinata couldn't tell anymore if she was looking into the mirror or looking out. The girl in the mirror came alive …

Hinata's hands suddenly stopped trembling, "I hope you don't mind my first technique." she smiled. "I use it for distraction when fighting certain very special opponents." She grabbed the zipper of her jacket and stared right through Naruto as she pulled it down.

Naruto swallowed hard, did she just say what he thought she just said? He couldn't see anything but Hinata now, and later he would swear that he could make out the sound of each individual tooth of the zipper as it peeled open. The folds of her jacket parted, and more and more of the black mesh top came into view. When it reached the bottom Naruto could clearly see her bare mid-rift, perfectly flat and soft he was paralyzed. She smiled at him as she slid the jacket off her shoulders revealing her new outfit.

Naruto's knees lost all will to hold him steady. The black mesh top didn't conceal anything, in fact it only accentuated her supple physique as it was probably two sizes too small and her creamy white skin was straining against every thread. Not the typically hard and rocky body of a ninja, Hinata had soft curves and glowing skin that beckoned him at every turn. His eyes settled on her breasts, barely concealed by the tiny black bra, he could hardly believe the size of them. They were nearly pouring out of the abused garment as it was and the match hadn't even begun. Nor did the flimsy material do anything to hide her already hardening nipples. Naruto completely lost track of his surroundings and what was happening.

Hinata giggled looking over at the statuesque Naruto, "_I guess that means he likes me!"_ In a flash she charged, channeling chakra to her hands she prepared to attack Naruto's first chakra points but she still couldn't make them out. "_Damn it! Even if he doesn't move this might do nothing at all…"_ Fortunately for Hinata, he didn't move, or more precisely he _couldn't_ move. She struck out at his shoulder for one of the easier, less dangerous chakra points. Using only her finger tips she reached out for the point that she knew must be there and discharged a burst of her own chakra. If her aim was true the result would disable that point on Naruto's body for hours. The impact rocked Naruto back and broke him partially out of his reverie.

"_Holy shit! I didn't even see her attack!"_ He tried to block the next attack but it struck his stomach. "_To slow! Gotta concentrate, oh my God look at her b… Arrghhhh!"_ Naruto was struck again.

Hinata didn't know how long the he would be spell bound by her breasts but she would take as long as she could get. "_Take 'em in sweetie! Then you can just take them after the fight!" _Hinata could feel the heat of her own blush, "_My God, I really am dirty aren't I?"_

Finally Naruto began to move, he leaped backwards to avoid her advance and tried to assess his situation, "_OK, I absolutely can't concentrate, I've already been struck 4 or 5 times by the gentle fist, but I feel fine which must mean that she missed all my chakra points! How is that possible? I know Hinata isn't the most skilled in her clan but I was practically standing still! She would have to be as distracted as me to miss like that…"_ His thoughts were interrupted by her next attack, again he was just able to avoid the attack but didn't know how to counter. He couldn't just hall off and slug her now could he? He had never fought a half naked Kinochi before but he was positive that it was bad manners to punch her in the face.

With his reflexes returning to normal avoiding her attacks completely was becoming easy, besides she seemed to be much clumsier than he remembered and she wasn't hurting him even with the attacks that connected.

"_Damn it! My tits aren't working on him anymore! He's moving too fast now, and I haven't hit any of his chakra points. This is just no use, I can't get to him. Wait, remember the Chuunin exams, don't give up, keep trying, keep trying!"_

She lunged forward again but he ducked under the left hook and flashed up, being only inches from her now he could have done anything he wanted, a punch to abdomen, a kick to the kidneys, a rasengan to anything… But none of these things were really options, he couldn't, he just couldn't. With no other option presenting itself Naruto grabbed her wrists and held on tightly. Hinata jerked back to try and free herself but to no avail. With a wild look in her eyes she pulled back as hard as she could, but Naruto's grip remained firm and she recoiled back to him. Despite her best efforts she felt her breasts, her most effective weapon thus far graze against his chest.

Her brain registering the contact Hinata stopped struggling and looked up at him, Naruto's grip slacked. She gazed into his blue eyes, "_Well look at that, I guess they are still working …"_

* * *

"Where is that little shit?" Sakura muttered under her breath. Tsunade suggested she find Naruto this morning and schedule some time for them start training together again. The village was short on elite combat teams and the 5th was hoping to see team Kakashi back together as soon as possible, but so far Naruto was nowhere to be found.

"My teammate is gone for 3 years, the same teammate that hit on me nearly every day of his life, and he practically vanishes as soon he gets back! And then there was that little episode with _Hina-taaaaaa_. What was that anyways? Since when does Hinata-pig get more face time then me?! She can't even stay fuckin conscious around him! Arrgghh!"

Sakura was so angry that she almost didn't notice Kurenai until she ran her over. "Oh! I'm so sorry Kurenai-sensei! Are you OK?"

Kurenai seemed totally spaced out, she was staring up at nothing for some reason but Sakura's bump seemed to wake her up a bit. "Sakura? ….Sakura!"

Sakura looked at her out of one eye, "What?"

"You're Naruto's teammate!" she yelped excitedly. Sakura deflated at the sound of his name, who wasn't having Naruto problems/questions/where the hell was _HE_?

"I have some questions I need to ask you about Naruto, have you talked to him much since he got back with Jiraiya-sama? I thought that maybe yo…"

"Nope!" Sakura cut her off, "I couldn't even tell you what direction you _might_ find him, some teammate huh?"

"Oh, well he's training with Hinata over near the Chuunin grounds somewhere today. What I need to know is…"

"HE WHAT!" Sakura screamed pulling on her gloves. "Ditching me again is he? I'm going to show him what being a teammate is all ABOUT!"

"Calm down right now!" Kurenai yelled grabbing at the overpowered Kunoichi. "_Good Lord she's really overreacting about this whole teammate thing, get a grip girl!_"

"It sounds like we both need to talk to him, we'll go to the training grounds together and find out what's going on with him." Kurenai stated excitedly, "You can ask him about uh… teamwork, and I can ask him about what the hell he meant about his name! Come on lets go!"

"_Damn, I can't afford any witnesses…"_ Sakura thought as she was being dragged away. As the two started down the street she glanced up towards the empty space she had found Kurenai staring, "_Hokage mountain... and what about his name?"_

* * *

"That's it! They're not here!" an exasperated Sakura screamed.

"Wait! There's one more area, it's just over that hill, no one ever uses it…" Kurenai stormed ahead towards the indicated terrain.

"Uhhhhhhh…" Sakura responded. As they walked on the trees thickened and the terrain got rocky. "I'm done, let's just go back to the village…" she whined.

"Shhhh!" Kurenai hushed her. "I hear something!"

Sakura's ears perked up, she and Kurenai got low and stalked in toward the secluded training ground in the kind of silence only a very nosey couple of ninja could achieve. The sounds got louder as they got closer, moving from indistinguishable sounds to voices, short and muffled. "_…to-kun… mmmmmm… Hinat….a"_

Reaching a large boulder near the edge of the clearing, they both peered over the top at the same time to see the torrid scene; a large coat was tossed aside on the grass, a white cloak was hanging from a tree branch, and a sandy grey ninja vest was on the ground below it. The vest was currently busy acting as a cushion for the most scantily clad version of Hinata Sakura could ever have imagined. But what caused her eyes to dilate and throat to close, was that Hinata was also currently very busy acting as a cushion for a very lean, and very shirtless Naruto. He was lying on top of her kissing Hinata with more passion then Sakura had ever seen before in real life. His hands roamed over her exposed body, his lips traced hers in slow deliberate arcs, she could see Hinata's nails digging into his back…

"Oh my God!" she whispered as they both ducked back behind the rock.

"I know!" Kurenai whispered back. "I can't believe it! Hinata finally got him! She's had a crush on Naruto since before the Academy, good for her!"Kurenai peeked over the rock again, "I'm not sure she needed to go quite so slutty though… Sakura?"

Sakura sat on the ground, with her back to the boulder and her knees clutched to her chest. "No, no, no, no, no, oh noooooo!" she whispered.


	8. The Byakugans Weakness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Hinata sees more than she can handle, and Naruto finds an unexpected friend.

**Notes: **None, I know! wtf?

* * *

Chapter 8 - The Byakugan's weakness

* * *

Naruto and Hinata lay in each other's arms basking in the afterglow of their first make out session. "Wow Hinata, that was incredible…"

Hinata blushed and smiled, "_I can't believe I just spent the afternoon making out with Naruto-kun! This has been the greatest day of my life!"_ Her confidence soaring she rolled partway onto her back and arched in a fake stretch causing her oversized breasts to jut out, impossible to ignore. "Why thank you Naruto-kun, I had a great time too." She smiled.

Naruto's hand couldn't help itself, without any commands from his brain whatsoever it moved gingerly across his body to caress her incredible…

"Naruto!"

"Whaaaaa!" a startled Naruto screamed as Hinata jumped up. "What happened? Is someone there?" he asked nervously looking in every direction.

"No, I forgot to tell you, my Byakugan!"

"What about your… Hey! Is it OK? I noticed that you couldn't hit my chakra points while we were, uh, sparring."

Hinata blushed. "Well yes and no," she replied. "It seems to be perfectly fine _except_ when I look at you!" Naruto looked at her surprised. "There's two things, first is your chakra, it's a weird gold color! I've never seen anything like it Naruto, the Byakugan always sees chakra as blue. But the really weird part is that whenever I try to look close in at the details like your chakra points it gets all blurry!"

Naruto looked surprised, "No kidding?"

"_It has to be the merge!"_ he thought. "_But why would that interfere with the Byakugan? I know the nine-tails chakra has a different character then normal human chakra but other than that I don't' know much about it. And with my chakra now being a hybrid it could have lots of other unintended consequences. I'm not sure what I should say … maybe just what she needs to know for now."_

"Well why I was traveling with Jiraiya-sensei a lot of things happened to me that I can't exactly explain myself. As you've no doubt noticed the nature of my chakra has changed over the last few years, maybe it's interfering with your Byakugan somehow." He offered.

"Interfering…" she repeated lost in thought. Hinata thought back to something her father told her when she was younger, "_All Dojutsu are thought to be descendent from a common ancestor. Many of the weaker variations are now extinct, but two of the strongest techniques live on here in Konoha, the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, and of course the Byakugan of the Hyuuga! While these two Dojutsu provide the users with very different effects you must remember that they are still related. In many ways that are not generally known they often offset each other, that is one is weak where the other is strong and vice-versa. This is one of the first secrets of Byakugan and the Hyuuga that I will teach you. The other is a warning you must always be mindful of Hinata, even with a birth right as powerful as the Byakugan there are weaknesses as well…'_

Hiashi never did tell her anymore than that, he had decided that she was worthless by then and focused all his attention on her younger sister Hanabi. But the warning was one she never forgot.

"Weakness…" Hinata mumbled.

"What do mean weakness?"

"Oh! Naruto, I don't understand it but I think that somehow you're able to exploit the weakness of the Byakugan!"

Naruto opened his eyes in shock, "Weakness of the Byakugan?! I didn't know there was one, what is it?"

"I don't know exactly…" she admitted. "But I bet that my father Hiashi would know, I should take you to him and see if he can explain it!"

"I don't know, " Naruto said nervously waving his hands. "I think I'd rather not be the subject of some crazy experiment. Could we maybe just keep this between us for now?

Hinata looked disappointed, "Uh sure, I guess so if that's what you want Naruto-kun."

"Oh hey, don't be upset!" He pleaded. "Maybe if we train together more often, you know like _actually_ train ... " he smirked, "then you'll adapt! You said it was just blurry, that's not the end of the world right? I bet if we train everyday you'll be able to pick me apart in no time!"

"_Actually, I'd love for you to take me apart anytime!"_ he thought.

Hinata looked up with a smile returning to her face, "_He wants to train every day!_ _Kurenai-sensei was right! I need to remember to thank her."_

"That sounds good Naruto-kun. Maybe you're right, maybe if we train together enough I can learn to see your chakra points as well. It's not dark yet or anything, do you think we can try now?"

"Sure! What do you need me to do?" he asked cheerfully.

"Well, I guess if you just sit and hold still then I can try and use my Byakugan to study your chakra flow and then maybe like you said you know, I might adapt or something."

"No problem Hinata-chan, give it try and let's see what you can see…" Naruto said cheerfully as he plopped down cross legged.

"Byakugan!" Hinata sat down next down to Naruto and inspected his chakra network. "_Still looks the same, blurry, can't make out his chakra points or the flow…"_ Hinata's brow creased as she concentrated, "_Zoom in … finer control … got to find his chakra points… Wait!" _Hinata leaned in close so that her face was only a few inches from Naruto's stomach. "_I think I can see the flow! It's faint but it's there, moving up right here…"_

Naruto giggled, he could feel her breath on his skin. "What is it, did you see something?"

"I'm trying to follow your chakra flow." She responded. Hinata moved her face up Naruto's torso following his chakra, as she passed by his left nipple she suddenly took it in her lips giving a light suction.

"Hinataaaaaaa…" Naruto complained smiling, "I can't sit still when you do that!"

Hinata smiled and moved on, "_Sensitive nipples, check."_

Tracking the flow of chakra in his body was difficult, seeing the chakra itself was easy, the golden energy was as bright as ever. But details like determining the direction of flow itself or his chakra points was nearly impossible unless she stayed glued to his body. "_My tough luck!"_ she thought cheerfully. She followed the flickering chakra staying mere inches from him, up his chest, up his neck, and finally up to his eyes. "_His eyes?_"

There seemed to be some chakra gathered in Naruto's eyes, "_He doesn't have a Dojutsu, only the Uchiha and Hyuuga do!"_ she thought. The chakra in his eyes seemed especially blurry, she got closer…

Naruto had his eyes closed in attempted meditation but he could feel her breath on his lips, "Hinata-ch…"

"Shhhhhh!" she hushed him. "Hold on, I think I see something!" Her eyes were starting to hurt from the strain but she ignored the pain and tried to bring the chakra into focus. The golden energy danced and surged beneath her gaze like it was playing a game, trying to evade her. She knew this was no simple chakra flow, there was definitely something there to see if only she could focus in on it!

Hinata called as much chakra as she could to her eyes trying to overpower the mysterious energy, the arteries around her eyes bulged from the strain drawing more and more blood to feed her effort. The pain intensified as the blurs of chakra began to show edges and form, "_That's it! I can do this, just a little more Hinata, you have to focus!"_

An edge, a side, the shapes in Naruto's eyes were slowly resolving themselves into something recognizable. "_Why does this hurt so much? I've never felt like this before! Is it the strain?"_ Hinata threw her concerns aside and concentrated all her effort into one last push. "_What are you damn it?!"_

Without warning the balls of chakra burst into sharp relief and to her horror Hinata realized that just an inch from her own staring right back at her was an unblinking golden eye, analyzing her with its long, jagged, inhuman iris. She tried to move but couldn't, she tried to scream but couldn't. She could only stare into the horrible eye as it racked her with pain and pulled her closer.

Hinata could feel the panic swelling inside her, "_What is this? I can't control my body! Is this genjutsu? Naruto please stop, can you hear me? Please help me!"_

"_**Hyuuuuuuugaaaaaaaa … "**_

"_Oh my GOD!" _A blast of light and pain smacked Hinata in the face and knocked her back into the ground. She turned onto her stomach and curled up out of instinct.

Naruto felt the movement instantly and opened his eyes. He saw Hinata and jumped up in a panic, "Hinata-chan! Are you OK?!"

"Get away from me!" she screamed trying to climb onto her feet.

"What happened? What's going on Hinata?" Naruto pleaded. "I don't understand!"

Hinata stood up with her back to him, she was seeing stars but she could see. Her Byakugan was deactivated by the blast, but her eye's still hurt enough that she was sure she couldn't call on it again anyways. She blinked trying to clear her vision enough to walk and wiped the tears from her eyes. She could feel the adrenaline in her system urging her to escape, to get as far away from whatever it was that hurt her as she could.

"N … Nothings going on." She lied. "I just over used my Byakugan that's all."

"Are you sure? You seem upset."

Hinata focused on not shaking, she didn't know what happened or what to do but her senses were still screaming in fear and telling her to run. "_What was that? Was that Naruto or something else? Does he know? Why did I hear something call my name? Something's wrong, I can't protect myself and neither can Naruto, he doesn't even know what happened, I don't even know if it was him! I have to get out of here!"_

"Here let me help you …" he said as he moved towards her.

"I said I'm fine!" she yelled recoiling, the movement spun her slightly to face him.

Naruto saw the movement and pulled back instantly. He didn't know what was wrong but he could see something he'd never seen on Hinata's face before, fear. She was afraid of him! What was going on? One minute she was licking his nipples the next she was afraid to touch him! Was this some weird part of dating he never heard about?

"Hinata _please_, tell me what's going on. I don't' understand what you're upset about if you'll just tell me I promise we can work it out."

Hinata jerked her head up and looked at him, his arms were outstretched and his face was so sincere. How could she say no to those beautiful blue eyes … something flickered, his eye's moved and danced and she watched in horror as the iris's slowly contracted into a vertical slit.

Hinata jumped straight back, "No!" She spun around quickly and ran past her jacket picking it up on the run. "I have to go!" she yelled over her shoulder in a panic.

Naruto watched her disappear into the distance. "_What the hell was that? Everything was fine and then she completely freaked out! This doesn't make any sense at all, is she bipolar or something?"_

Naruto sighed, his first date ever was a complete disaster and he had no idea why. Something in the back of his mind was trying to talk to him that this was most definitely not normal, but he didn't know what to make of it. He looked towards the village, it was going to be dinner time soon and he was getting hungry. Sighing he started the long walk back.

* * *

His disaster of a date was running through Naruto's mind as he shuffled past the Yamanaka family flower shop. Ino was cleaning up after a long day, she only worked 1 day a week in the shop now as her ninja duties took up most of her time these days but on days like this that still seemed like too much. Sweeping out the corner a glint of white caught her eye for the second time today, "_Is that?..."_

There he was again! That same young shinobi who looked in the window earlier that morning! She had worked the entire day in a daze, wondering about the identity of the mysterious hottie from the morning. "_That's him! No way he's getting away this time, time to meet Ino Yamanaka Mr. hottie!" _

"Ok mom all done here gotta go!" she called out as she flew out the door. Naruto was so lost in thought that he actually bumped into the waiting Ino before he knew she was there.

"Oh, sorry miss…" he mumbled, barely meeting her eyes.

It was only a quick glance but it was enough for Ino, she knew that look when she saw it. Working at a flower shop in a shinobi village she often prepared flower arrangements for and talked with ninja who had lost loved ones and comrades. The experience gave her a bit of a sixth sense when it came to the sorrow of people around her. She could usually tell with a single glance what an individual was feeling and the mysterious stud was looking like heartbreak.

"_Perfect_!" Ino thought. "_My specialty. I'll have this cutie wrapped around my little finger in no time. Now I just need to find my in, hmmmmm, I guess the standard line will do."_

"Awwww come on, it can't be all that bad for a good looking guy like you! I bet she doesn't have any idea what she's missing!" Ino held her breath, "_Man I hope I called that one right…"_

Naruto looked up at the girl in front of him for the first time, "_Ino,"_ he recognized her instantly. She was some kind of mind control specialist, not genjutsu really but some kind of special family trait, he didn't know much about it. She was part of team 8 with Shikamaru and Choji, Shikamaru was a tactical specialist and Choji, well he just seemed to specialize in being really big.

"Hey Ino, how have you been?" he managed rather pathetically.

"I'm sorry?" she said in sudden surprise. Ino leaned in suddenly forgetting all decorum, "Do I know you?"

"It's me, Naruto."

"NARUTO!" she blurted. "_Holy hell! He's so different! I can't believe I just spent the entire day thinking about Naruto!" _She gave him a more though inspection, taller now, and thinned out in the face. His hair was much longer as well, hanging in jagged spikes over his forehead protector giving just a bit of cover to his inviting blue eyes. She along with every other girl in the academy had always ignored Naruto. He was loud, obnoxious, and awkward looking back then, she chased after the hot commodities like Sasuke, she was one of the cutest girls in her class after all.

But now standing here in front of Naruto three years later she found his new looks more than an equal for Sasuke. His friendly eyes, and less arrogant demeanor were quite a turn on as well. This deserved a little closer look.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, immediately regretting the question. Digging up his problems wasn't going to get him to focus on her, but she opened the can of worms. She'd just have to power through it.

He sighed, "Not right now Ino, I've had a really bad da…"

"Oh no! I'm not letting you come back to see me after 3 years and not take you out for some ramen!" Ino smiled.

"I'm actually not here to see y … wait, did you say take me out for ramen?"

"Uh huh …" Ino shook her head up and down.

"Actually I'm starving and ramen is exactly what I need , and I guess I could use some company right now after the kind of day I've had. Ino, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Naruto what is it?"

"Have you ever thought you knew someone, thought someone would always be there for you, and then when you need them most they…"

"Say no more," Ino replied. "Let's go get some ramen."

* * *

"Hinata! I demand you open the door right now!" Hiashi yelled. The servants had told him that his eldest daughter locked herself in her room crying. Out of curiosity he investigated and tried to reason with her but his patience had worn thin, this was no behavior befitting a ninja. "Hinata!"

Hinata sat in her room on floor, she was in no mood to face her father just now. Her earlier feelings of fear and panic had given way to sadness and regret. By the time she reached home her vision seemed to return to normal and she realized her eyes hadn't been damaged in any sort of permanent way. Sitting there crying in her room she analyzed the afternoons events in her head over and over again. The more she thought about it the more she cursed her own stupidity, the pain didn't just come on without warning, it built up slowly and she ignored it pressing on and forcing her Byakugan despite the obvious warnings that she should have backed off. It certainly wasn't Naruto's fault, he didn't even seem to know what had happened and he only showed concern for her when she screamed.

But she still couldn't get the memory of the eye and what it did to her out of her mind.

Whatever that thing was it was evil that much was obvious, and somehow it was able to use her Byakugan against her. That alone was enough to scare Hinata to her very core, but the fact that it truly saw her and called the name Hyuuga was still sending her heart racing. But among all the questions racing through her mind the one that was really eating at her was whether or not Naruto was aware of the eye. His reactions certainly pointed to him being unaware but how could it have possibly known her name then? She wasn't sure what was more frightening, him being unknowingly possessed or him acting like he didn't know.

Hinata was torn, on one hand she loved Naruto her entire life and still loved him. They each saved the other's life on more than one occasion in the field and her shinobi instincts told her that a comrade was in danger and she needed to act. On the other hand Naruto and the eye were now unknowns on many levels but she did know they were dangerous.

And to put it quite simply she was scared to death of him. The Byakugan defined Hinata as it defined all Hyuuga, it was part of what made her who she was. And it made the ease with which the mysterious power in Naruto attacked her eyes very personal and more frightening than anything she'd ever experienced.

Hinata looked deep inside herself to try and find the answers and saw the undeniable truth, she simply didn't have enough information to act. "_Then my path is clear_," she told herself._ "_ _I don't know how but I have to find out what happened to Naruto-kun while he was gone! I have to find out what he is. I just wish I knew where to start."_

_CRASH! _Hinata didn't have the luxury of finishing her thoughts as the sound of splintering wood filled the room. Lord Hiashi Hyuuga, leader of the Hyuuga clan had waited long enough. With the door now in shards he stood in front of his cowering daughter. "What is the meaning of this! Crying like a child and refusing to answer me?" Hinata said nothing. "You will tell me what's going on this instant! What's going on? Where have you been?"

Hinata shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, "Uh,… father, it's just that I…"

"Spit it out!"

"Well you see,… I was supposed to meet Nar…Naruto-kun for training this morning and…"

"Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki?!"

"Well,.. yes father. You see…th"

"Enough! I've told you many times to stay away from that boy! He's nothing but trash and I won't have you wasting your time with the likes of him! Wait…, did he do something to you? Is that why you're crying?!"

Hinata panicked again, "No father! It was my fault, he didn't know!"

"Silence!" he bellowed. "Get up, we're going to see the 5th Hokage immediately! I'll have that little bastards head before the end of the day! No disgraces the Hyuuga."


	9. Kurenai's Question

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Kurenai needs answers, Hiashi demands justice, and Hinata just wishes she were somewhere else. The same old Jiraiya.

**Notes: **This was a particularly fun chapter to write but difficult because so many characters are talking at once. I think it would make a _way_ better scene on the screen than paper but what are you gonna do? Hopefully it reads well and isn't too hard to follow. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9 – Kurenai's Question

* * *

Jiraiya opened Tsunade's door without bothering to knock and barged in, "You called?"

Tsunade jumped up with a panicked look on her face, she was trying to hide the sake bottle when she realized it was only Jiraiya. "Will you please knock next time! I am the 5th Hokage after all, a little respect would be nice."

"Good point, I wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm your boyfriend sneaking up here for a quicky or anything like that." He teased. Jiraiya dodged the incoming sake glass with practiced grace, snagging it with his left hand just before it hit the wall. "Hey now! You can abuse me all you want, in fact I encourage it. But that's not how you should abuse alcohol!"

"Shut up and get in here, close the door behind you." She said. Tsunade grabbed a file from a large stack and threw it to Jiraiya. "I've got a very special assignment for Naruto, I thought you might want to see it."

Jiraiya opened the folder and reviewed its contents, "Oh man is he ever going to be excited. And long overdue too."

"Sure is, I thought you might want to take a few days to give him some additional training before setting out. If he's still having any control issues like you talked about the other day then this would be a good time to work on it."

"Are you kidding? He'll be fine, you saw how he did against Kakashi. This assignment should be a walk in the park for Naruto."

"Maybe maybe not. You never know who he'll end up facing out there, and there's always some overly powerful freak of nature like Gaara that you never see coming. But that's not even the point. We both know Akatsuki is still out there and still a threat, and lets not forget about Orochimaru and Sasuke. Naruto has the potential to become as powerful as his father someday and Konoha needs that desperately. Without his power, the future could be a very bleak one for the village hidden in the leaves."

Jiraiya knew she was right, his training would have to continue. But that was no reason to pass up an extortion opportunity, "Ok, I'll make you a deal. You go out for some drinks with me and I'll get right back to work on Naruto. In fact I spoke to Kakashi this morning and he wanted to help with Naruto's training as well, said he had some crazy idea that only Naruto could pull off. Deal?"

"Jiraiyaaaaa, enough with the dates already! We've been down that road years ago, just let it go already would ya?"

"It's not a date, just drinks I swear."

"But it always turns into a date doesn't it? Look, you're a pervert and I'm not, it's just not going to work out Ok?"

"So I'm the bigger perv huh? Now there's a debatable point but I suppose it's neither here nor there." Jiraiya got up, turned towards the door and sighed. "Tsunade, we're not getting any younger you know that right?"

"Speak for yourself, I look great!" she replied sarcastically.

"It's not your henge I'm interested in Tsunade, it's you."

Tsunade's smile faded, he was actually serious.

"I've spent the last 15 years of my life on the road pretty much alone except for those last 3 with Naruto. I know you had Shizune when you left the village, but don't you ever get lonely? "

That hit a little close to home. Normally Tsunade would have kicked anyone who asked her personal questions like this out on their ass, it was none of their business. But Jiraiya was always different, she felt like she could talk to him in a candid way that she couldn't even talk to Shizune sometimes. And it wasn't often she got to see this side of him. "Sure I do Jiraiya. But when I get that kind of lonely it's easier to just find some cute stranger to connect with for a night or two, don't tell me you haven't done the same because I know you have."

"Of course, of course, my reputation still precedes me I see. Well to be perfectly honest its gotten boring, and I'm tired of it. Besides, do you really consider that a connection worth making? When I think about all the girls I've _connected_ with over the years I realize that they're just a bunch of little girls. None of them could really ever understand me …"

Jiraiya looked over his shoulder and waited a moment for Tsunade to meet his gaze. "And none of yours could really ever understand you. That's all I'm saying." Tsunade was dumbfounded, she wanted to argue or least throw out a sarcastic remark, but nothing came to mind.

Fortunately for her the awkward silence was broken by a commotion outside the door of her office. She and Jiraiya turned to the door and listened to the muffled voices.

"Get out of my way this can't wait!"

"She's in a meeting with a very important guest right now _and_ she has a lot of paperwork to do, she doesn't have time!"

"Move it or lose it girl comin through!"

"Wait no! She's busy you can't just…" The door burst open and Kurenai Yuhi barged through dragging her left leg. The source of the limp was a very worried looking Shizune who was refusing to let go. Tsunade's apprentice Sakura followed the two looking as though she had just spent the last hour crying.

"What's the meaning of this?" Tsunade asked coolly, she ought to be angry but this looked interesting and might just be enough to get her out of finishing her paperwork for the evening.

Shizune looked up at her master, "_She's not going to do anymore paperwork is she?" _She sighed, "_I'm _c_oming in early tomorrow for sure…"_

"I need to talk to you about Naruto right away Hokage-sama." Kurenai said.

"_Figures,"_ Tsunade thought. "_It was so quiet with him gone, this is going to get annoying pretty quick."_

"What did he do this time? He's only been in the village for 2 days." Jiraiya turned his head and tried to suppress a smile, Naruto may have grown up a lot in the last three years but that only meant that the trouble he got into was more grown up as well.

Kurenai looked like she was ready to burst. "I ran into him on the street and he was wearing a white fire cloak! You know, like the _4__th__ used to wear!_" Kurenai said in a hushed voice. Sakura looked up for the first time, she was interested in finding out anything she could about her now enigmatic teammate.

"Oh was he now? Man that kid is anything but subtle, I wish he would have eased into this." Tsunade said. "Jiraiya? Is this your doing? I know we need to let Naruto be who he is but there are better ways of going about this."

Jiraiya threw his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey it wasn't me! Besides, unless I'm teaching him a new jutsu he never listens to me anyways."

"And that's not all! Then he said that his name was…" Kurenai stopped. Motioning with her eyes over at Shizune and Sakura she seemed to be trying to communicate something in code.

"Oh for the love God Kurenai I'm in no mood for charades, what is it?!"

"I'm not sure if they should hear this…" Kurenai whispered.

"_I think I know what this about."_ Tsunade sighed inwardly. "_I'm sure this is going to be a tough week, when word gets out it'll spread like wildfire. The town council is gonna want to question me for a month."_

"They might as well stay, they're going to hear it sooner or later …"

Kurenai looked shocked, "But Tsunade-sama! He said his name was …"

CRASH! The door to Tsunade's office flew open again, this time assaulted by Hiashi Hyuuga. He was dragging his daughter Hinata in by the arm and the girl looked none too happy to there. "I'm very sorry for the interruption Hokage-sama, but I must speak with you at once!"

"Now wait just a minute!" Tsunade yelled. "_I'm_ the 5th Hokage, and I will not tolerate everyone just bashing my door in un-announced!"

Seeing the two new visitors, both Kurenai and Sakura went rigid. Kurenai glanced over at Sakura unsure of what to do. After watching her go into a complete meltdown seeing Naruto and Hinata make out she actually had to pick up the traumatized girl and carry her away from the training grounds to avoid being caught like a couple of peeping toms. She had no idea that Sakura liked Naruto, in fact she had seen her turn Naruto down on several occasions years prior. Kurenai just figured that Sakura like most girls her age fancied Sasuke. Of course with Sasuke going rouge and Naruto growing up it explained a lot if Sakura's feelings were changing. "_Uh-Oh. She's scowling…"_

Jiraiya's eyes raced back and forth between the faces in the room, "_Hello? What's this then?"_

"Again I'm sorry Hokage-sama but this simply could not wait! I require justice! My honorable clan has been disgraced." Hiashi explained.

"Disgraced how?" Tsunade asked.

Hinata tugged at her father's arm, "Please father don't! I'm fine I told you! Naruto didn't do anything, we have to leave…"

Kurenai suddenly remembered what she had come to ask, "Tsunade-sama! About Naruto …"

"I'm here to report that Naruto Uzumaki assaulted my daughter!" Hiashi bellowed out trying to make sure he was heard over the growing noise in the room. Tsunade and Shizune gasped.

"_**I'll**_ say…" Sakura quipped loudly.

"Lord Hiashi! I can assure you th… wait! Sakura, just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tsunade asked, glaring her student.

"Father we have to leave _**right now**__!"_ Hinata pleaded.

Kurenai tried again, **"**But Naruto said his name was …"

"Silence Hinata!" Hiashi yelled. "We're not going anywhere until that Uzumaki scum is punished for what he did to you!" Hinata looked at the floor started turning red.

"Hinata, what did Naruto do to you?" Tsunade asked.

"More like what _**didn't**_ he do?"

Hinata's head snapped around towards Sakura, "What?!"

"Shut up Sakura." Tsunade growled. "This is kind of important here …"

"Then you saw this? You saw the assault on my daughter? There you see Hokage-sama? The demon child has gone too far! He isn't fit to roam the streets, he should be tied up!"

Sakura laughed, "That shouldn't be too hard, just ask _**Mistress Hyuuga**_ over there …"

Hinata whirled around her face bright red, "Just what are you trying to say _**BITCH**_!"

Every eye in the room went wide as a dinner plate. Tsunade saw the approaching chaos and tried desperately to head it off, "Hinata watch your mouth! Sakura you…"

"But he _**said**_ his name was…"

"That's it! Game on little girl!" Sakura screamed. She launched herself across the room and shouldered straight through Hiashi to get to Hinata. Grabbing a fistful of jacket and hair the two kunoichi screamed and collapsed on the floor in a full catfight wrestling match.

Shizune jumped into Jiraiya's arms, she had no intention of getting in between this group in a confined space.

"Get off of my daughter you little wench!" Hiashi yelled as regained his balance. He grabbed at the monstrously strong Kunoichi trying to break up the melee with little effect.

"_Oh shit, she's way to strong for Hiashi to just pull her off like that, I never should have taught her this strength, she's too much like me!"_ Tsunade jumped across her desk desperately hoping to avoid a catastrophe in the making. She landed next to the trio and got one arm in between Hiashi and the girls, and the other arm in between the warring girls themselves.

"Break it up!" she screamed.

"Get off of me you crazy Bitch!" "Go to hell man thief!"

Jiraiya and Shizune scooted farther back into the corner but Kurenai seemed oblivious to the battle, "But Tsunade-sama, is Naruto really …"

"Kinda busy here Kurenai!" Tsunade called back.

"What is the meaning of this!" Hiashi yelled in frustration. "Hokage-sama I demand that you control your student!" Tsunade finally got leverage on Sakura and pushed her left elbow into her stomach but the manic girl still refused to let go.

"_If I don't pull these two apart Hiashi's going to do something stupid like use the gentle fist technique to kill somebody. You brought this on yourself Sakura."_

Without another option Tsunade called on her full strength and flung Sakura to the left trying to end the fight before things got really out of hand. The distinct sound of tearing fabric filled the room as Sakura flew across the room and into a large oak bookshelf.

All eye's in the room followed Sakura, she bounced off the bookshelf and landed in a heap on the floor with half the libraries contents piling on top of her. As the dust settled the pink haired Kunoichi was barely visible except for one of her arms sticking out of the pile, still clutching Hinata's torn jacket.

Almost out of reflex all eye's turned back towards the origin of the sound and the victim of Sakura's surprise assault. Tsunade and Hiashi's eyes bulged out of their sockets and Jiraiya dropped Shizune on her ass. There sprawled out in all her seductive glory lay an unchanged and very exposed Hinata. She looked up and saw everyone was staring at her, at first she couldn't understand what the problem was until she felt the breeze.

"OH!" she yelped and flung her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to cover her over exposed body from her father.

"You wore _**THAT**_ to your training with Naruto Uzumaki?" Hiashi squeaked, his arms went limp at his sides.

_**"But that's what I've been trying to tell you! He said his name was Naruto NAMIKAZE!" **_Kurenai finally screamed. In a state of utter shock the dazed crowd looked up to Kurenai, what did she just say?

The room was dead silent. "Is he really related to the 4th Hokage?" Kurenai whispered.

Tsunade looked around the room and silently cursed herself for not keeping closer tabs on Naruto. "Yes." the flustered Hokage breathed, still trying to catch her breath. "I can't believe this, it's only been two days! Jiraiya, where _in the Fuck_ is Naruto? I need to have a little word with him."

Jiraiya stepped over Shizune and walked towards door, "Well this has been fun but I know an exit when I see it. I couldn't tell you where he is at the moment but when I see him I'll tell him to get his affairs in order and come see you Tsunade. And I'll pick the three of you up tomorrow at eight for drinks!" he called over his shoulder.

"I told you my boobs do not count as separate entities!" she screamed back.

"Oh! That's good to know Hokage-sama." Kakashi said walking up to the door. He surveyed the room and took in the entire scene looking slightly bored.

"_Man I can't wait to get the story from Jiraiya, this looks to be a real classic."_

"I take it now's not a good time eh? Maybe I should come back tomorrow." He said.


	10. Ino's Play

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Ino makes her move while Hinata has to deal with the aftermath of exposure.

**Notes: **Sorry about the long delay, but I got really busy! This is one of my longer chapters and I thought about making it even longer but decided enough was enough. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 10 - Ino's Play

* * *

Hiashi and Hinata walked home in complete silence. Her shredded jacket was wrapped around her and taped thanks to Shizune and Kurenai, both of them jumped to help her after the dust settled in Tsunade's office. Every girl alive had faced an angry or disappointed father at one time or another and while neither one of them had made this exact mistake, there was a sense of understanding in their faces as they tried to make the poor girl vaguely presentable to walk home. The more Hinata thought about it she probably wouldn't have been able to stand up and walk out the door without their help, the emotional help more than the wardrobe help.

Of course the glares she got from Sakura were another story altogether, but it was hard to make out too much with Tsunade practically sitting on her the entire time. The pink haired bitch obviously knew something about her rendezvous with Naruto, her loud mouth made that much clear. What wasn't clear was why she seemed to be so angry about it. Hinata resolved to find out more about what the hell was going on as soon as she survived whatever her father had in store for her.

Hiashi waited in hallway for her and simply walked home when she exited the Hokages office. He never said another word after seeing her half naked but judging from his reaction to Tsunade confirming Naruto's name change, Hinata wasn't altogether sure which event was keeping him quiet. After all, it wasn't like her father to pass up an opportunity to verbally assault her in public.

Dragging her feet at his side she glanced at him but he didn't return the look, still the silent treatment. She could never tell what he was thinking when he was like this and it drove her crazy.

"Father? " she tried, but he didn't respond. She decided not to push her luck and reluctantly finished the journey in silence.

As they approached the small palace all Hyuuga's called home the servants tending the door saw the look on their masters face and hastily opened the door. But just a few feet from it Hiashi suddenly stopped, "Byakugan!" He whirled on Hinata and snatched her head up in both hands. Hinata was terrified and tried to turn away but he wouldn't allow it.

"Look me in the eyes …" he warned. Hinata had been threatened by her father plenty of times, but this tone was different. She did as she was told reluctantly, she knew what he was doing. Relaxing she let her eye's look into his and saw the Hyuuga birthright boring straight into her. The questions would come next and she couldn't lie, not to those eyes. The eyes of an experienced Byakugan user could easily spot the most minuet signs of deception. He continued to stare at her without a word and she could feel herself being taken apart piece by piece.

"Room." He said releasing her suddenly. Hiashi's Byakugan faded and he turned around and walked into the house. Hinata was stunned, what did he do? It would have to wait she realized, because the only thing that mattered at the moment was doing exactly as she was told. She didn't stop running until she slammed her door behind her.

"_Well this is just great."_ She thought. "_This day went from magical to disaster in the blink of an eye. And I can't believe father saw me in this outfit!" _she groaned_. "I don't think I'll ever be able to look him in the eye again." _She threw the ruined jacket away and peeled off her outfit. She folded it up neatly and hid it in the back of the closet again.

"I think going naked is out of the question for a while" she sighed, rummaging through some other articles in her closet. "Sweats it is." It wasn't until an hour later she realized that the door was in miraculously good shape for just being torn to shreds only a few hours before.

* * *

Hiashi walked slowly through the palace, he had a lot on his mind. He just confirmed that his eldest daughter was a full fledged whore for one, but amazingly that wasn't what was bothering him, he had bigger fish to fry. It wasn't too often he visited this part of the property anymore, once a week at most. It was starting to reek of death here, and not the died honorably on battlefield kind of death either. It was the slow decay of time that tortured these halls, something that even Hiashi couldn't stand. He came to rest in front of a large walnut door covered in ornate carvings, one of the few unique doors in the entire palace. Taking in one last fresh breath he pushed the door open.

"Hello Father. It is I, Hiashi." He called into the dark room.

"Do you think I'm some kind of senile old mummy?" came the sarcastic reply. "Who else is going to call me father? Besides, I felt your pathetically ordinary chakra three blocks down the street." Hiashi winced at the sound of the old man's scratchy voice, it like someone was dragging a seizing cat down a chalkboard.

Shaking off the effects he responded, "Something most disturbing has happened and I require your counsel."

"Hmmft. About time you recognized your place. Come in and tell me what it is you've done this time."

Hiashi entered the room and closed the door behind him, then he walked over and sat down next to the large canopy bed. He could see his father a little better now, his eyes still weren't fully adjusted to the darkness yet but it would only be a moment. The eyes of the Hyuuga were quite strong. "It's not me father, it's about Hinata."

"Oh for the love of all that's holy Hiashi! Leave that poor girl alone. She's not you and never will be." Kanjero admonished. Though he would never admit it because he did love all of his grandchildren very much, Hinata was his favorite. There was something refreshingly un-Hyuuga about the girl and Kanjero was always amazed by it. Growing up Hyuuga was a lot like growing up in the military but no matter what they did to her Hinata wasn't and would never be the rank and file soldier.

Hiashi sighed, this wasn't why he was here but the argument was almost a ritual, they might as well get it out of the way now. "Why do you defend her father? She's weak and cowardly, and technically the next in line of succession for the main branch! If she's ever allowed to head this house the Hyuuga will suffer. And I treat her no differently than you treated us father, it is this way life that keeps our noble clan strong!"

"And it's what keeps this noble clan from greatness!" Kanjero countered. "There can be no gain without risk Hiashi, and I was too much of a fool to see that until it was too late. Why do refuse to listen?"

Hiashi couldn't hear anymore, he changed the subject to shut the old man up. "Hinata was with the vessel today Kanjero-sama! The entire day …"

This gave the old man pause, "She was, was she? Hmmmm, they are fellow nin of course, this isn't entirely unexpected. Why are you so concerned?"

Hiashi leveled a very serious look at his bedridden father, "There are a great many things that concern me father, not the least of which is the vessels identity."

"His identity?" Kanjero asked.

"Yes. I've always known the vessel was an orphan, but it never occurred to me his parents might be of any importance." Hiashi waited for his father to betray something.

"Spit it out boy!" Kanjero coughed.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes, "During out meeting Tsunade told everyone in the room that his name was Namikaze."

Kanjero sighed and looked down at his sheets, "So they finally told him did they?"

Hiashi's eyes went wide with shock, "You knew of this?! Why did you not tell me?" he demanded angrily.

"Because those few that knew were sworn to secrecy for the good of Konoha that's why! And because it doesn't matter as far as you're concerned, the identity of the vessel does not alter our purpose Hiashi." The elder Hyuuga warned. "Do you understand me?"

Hiashi nodded, "Yes Kanjero-sama, I understand. Is there anything else I should know?" he asked sarcastically.

"If there was I would tell you."

Hiashi smiled at the joke, what his father meant was if there was anything else the old man was hiding that he could hold his breath waiting to be told for all the good it would do. "There is another problem, he's been back in the village for nearly two days and I had no idea the vessel had returned."

Kanjero nodded in understanding, "Nor did I, do you know how this could be?"

"No, but I mean to find out. I plan to send a small team to serveil him and discern the root of his newfound stealth."

"I don't often agree with you Hiashi, in fact I'm sure I'll have nightmares for a week because of this but, I agree. Send the team but make it short, if the operation takes too long it will draw the attention of the ANBU."

"Hai! I will get to the bottom of this." Hiashi stood up and got ready to leave.

"Hiashi?"

"Yes Kanjero-sama?"

"What else?"

Hiashi sighed, he could live with not being able to lie effectively to his father, but the old man's ability to pick out what he wasn't lying about through omission was truly infuriating. "It is nothing father, please go to sleep."

"Don't lie to me! There's something else about Hinata that has you bothered, beyond the normal bothered that is. It's written all over your face. Wait, _all day_ you said?"

"Yes, They were apparently … on a date."

"A date!" Now this was unexpected! Kanjero smiled at fate, of all the thousands of possibilities this had to be the only one no one ever thought of. "Oh the Irony! The heir of the Hyuuga house on a date with the vessel!" the aged shinobi laughed.

"This isn't funny damn it!" Hiashi snarled. "I must protect her! I must protect this house!"

"Calm yourself Hiashi," Kanjero said waving his hands and trying to suppress his laugh. "This may very well be the best situation possible. We must not act to hastily here there is far too much at stake."

"Ridiculous." Hiashi spat.

Kanjero stared at Hiashi for a moment, "Does he have her heart?"

Hiashi shot an angry glance back at his father, "_How does he do that_?" he wondered.

"I take it you've already barricaded the girl in her room then? She won't stay forever you know. Her heart will eventually overcome her fear of you and when it does things will become worse. A woman's heart is no simple matter."

Hiashi shook his head back and forth, "Disgusting, I refuse this think of Hinata that way. But in any event it's simply too dangerous to let them be together!"

"Why?"

"Because I looked into Hinata's eye's tonight Kanjero-sama and I saw something …" he drifted off.

"What could you have possibly seen that makes you so frightened? Perhaps it's time to tell the girl our secret. If she does love him she would never truly betray him but if she could be convinced that this is for his own good then we might learn much."

Hiashi was surprised, his father actually missed the mark for once. "It wasn't a look in her eye's I saw that concerns me father, … it was a mass of blood vessels in the whites of both her eyes. They were all burst."

Kanjero gasped, the eye's of the Hyuuga were no normal eyes everyone knew this. But few knew how extraordinary they really were. No member of the Hyuuga clan had less than better than perfect vision even without the Byakugan. None had ever suffered vision loss at any age, no disease or malady had ever struck the eye's of a Hyuuga in recorded clan history. No, the eyes of the Hyuuga were perfect in every way.

Always perfect, except once that is, sixteen years ago. Kanjero closed his eyes and remembered that night, that nightmare. The Hyuuga, most powerful clan of the village hidden in the leaves raced towards the battle ground to defend their home as only they could. His entire life was nothing more than a practice run, preparation for this moment. It was his destiny he knew, and the monster would fall before him. They reached the great perimeter wall that surrounded the village and activating his Byakugan Kanjero surveyed the destruction. Then he saw it, the Kyuubi in all its horrific glory laid waste to the earth and stood tall amid the fire and chaos. The demon sensed him he knew, and it's massive red eye's fell on his location. The massive fox smiled at him … and his world fell apart.

Kanjero was blind, they all were.

* * *

"Thanks a lot Ino, ramen always makes me feel better!" Naruto said with smile.

Ino smiled back, men were so easy. There were only two parts of a man's body that a woman had to know to completely control any man, and she was already halfway there with Naruto. "No problem Naruto, you just looked like you could use a friend that's all."

"Yea you got that right. I just don't understand people I guess. Sometimes it just seems like no matter what I do people don't want to see the real me, they only see the negatives. It doesn't matter what I do."

"You mean you wish they would just see what's really on the inside?"

Naruto winced. "I guess … But what do you do when the inside is the problem?"

Ino frowned for a moment considering Naruto's response. "_Man he's really a mess, if this is all about a girl it's going to be a real pain in the ass to get him to focus on me. It's a good thing I have a soft spot for heartbroken studs, time for plan B."_

"Come on Naruto, I think I've got just the thing that'll cheer you up." Ino said.

"Where are we going?"

"To my apartment, just try not to get too fresh with me OK?" she said with a wink.

Naruto hesitated a moment, something was telling him that he shouldn't be going with her. But she really _was_ being nice, and when she saw that he was hurting she dropped everything she was doing to spend time with him and just talk. It was a side of Ino that he'd never seen before and he liked it, there was more to this girl than meet the eye.

"Ok Ino, lets go check out your place. And I'll try not to get _too_ fresh!" he teased.

Naruto entered Ino's apartment right behind her. It was nice if a bit girly for his taste. A one bedroom, it had a small kitchen and an even smaller living room, but it was what she could afford he reminded himself. Not everybody inherited a house.

"Sorry about it being so small, but it's mine!" Ino smiled. She gauged his expressions as he surveyed the apartment. They were similar to most men, but there was a subtle difference as well. For starters most men she invited over grabbed her ass on the way in the door. And the way they looked at her apartment she always got the impression they were just looking for the best spot to get naked. Naruto on the other hand didn't have any lust in his eyes when he looked at her, they were just friendly. Her smile widened a bit.

"What are you talking about? This place is great! It's a little on the feminine side for my tastes, but it's nice."

"Thank you! You know you're the first guy to say that?"

"Say what, that you have a nice apartment?"

"No, that it's not your taste. It was honest, most guys just lie and say that's the greatest thing ever or some idiot line."

"Most guys?" Naruto asked.

"Oh you know, Shiskamaru, Choji, and everybody." Ino covered quickly.

"_Man that was close! I Don't want Naruto thinking I'm the village slut. This honesty crap of his is starting to rub off on me."_

"So anyways, the reason I brought you here Naruto-kun …"

Naruto stiffened up a little at the sound of Ino addressing him so personally, she had never referred to him like that before. It reminded him of Hinata, and the feelings from earlier flooded back into his mind. Naruto slumped his shoulders a bit, "Hey Ino look, I _really_ appreciate everything you're doing for me, but I don't want to be a downer right now and …"

"Exactly my point!" she said. "You're down in the dumps Naruto, and I know how to make you forget all about it for the rest of the night. If you really think you're going to miss them that much I can promise you your problems will still be there in the morning."

Naruto cracked another smile. "Ok you've got my attention, so how are you going to make me forget all about my problems?"

Ino reached into her cupboard and pulled out a small glass set, "Sake!"

* * *

The knock on the door startled Hinata, she looked at it hoping whoever it was would just go away. This day just needed to be over already before anything worse happened.

"Hinata?" a familiar voice whispered.

She walked over to the door and whispered, "Neji?"

"Let me in, I need to talk to you."

Hinata let her cousin in quickly and closed the door behind him, she didn't feel like looking at anyone else who might walk by. "What is it?" she asked, Neji didn't visit too often.

"What happened to you today? I heard that something happened to you this afternoon and then you and father got into a fight at the Hokage's tower? The entire house is buzzing with gossip."

"So why not get your gossip from the best possible source?" she asked sarcastically.

"You know I'm not like that Hinata, I'm just worried about you."

It was true, Neji was probably her favorite family member. For most of his life he hated her just like every other member of the branch family. But after nearly killing her during the infamous chuunin exams a few years back he lost his match against Naruto and did a complete 180. Naruto changed Neji even more than he changed Hinata, it was just another thing that confirmed for her that Naruto was the one. If there was something bothering her or if father was treating her especially bad she could always count on Neji to notice and help her out any way he could.

"It's kind of hard to explain …" she said weakly.

"Try me."

Hinata swallowed, she was going to have to edit some of this on the fly, he was family after all. "Well, I went to go train with Naruto-kun this afternoon. And when we were sparring something weird happened."

Neji leaned in closer, she had his full attention now. Neji had always been curious about Naruto ever since the loud genin bested him. Neji thought he had shut down every one of Naruto's chakra points. Naruto shouldn't have been able to fight whatsoever after that, but fight he did. It should have been impossible, and it kept Neji up at night on more than one occasion.

"Well, ever since he returned the village I keep seeing some very strange things with my Byakugan."

"Strange how?" Neji insisted. He scooted so close that Hinata was feeling uncomfortable.

"It's his chakra system, whenever I look at Naruto-kun his chakra looks … it looks like gold."

"Gold? But how is that possible?" Neji asked surprised. Hinata could tell that he was more talking to himself than asking her a question. "He's the only one I've ever seen who's different and now it's gold …"

"What do mean he's the only one you've ever seen different?" Hinata asked.

Neji looked at his cousin with a serious expression, "I've never told anyone this before Hinata, but when I fought Naruto three years ago I saw something I couldn't explain either."

"So you've seen the gold chakra!"

"No, that day after I hit him with the 64 palms jutsu I saw his chakra network with my Byakugan, it was totally shut down. There was no chakra flowing in him at all, the fight was over. But then while I watched it came back to life! I've never seen anything like it Hinata, the chakra flowed from his stomach and restarted his entire system. But it wasn't just any chakra, and it wasn't blue or now gold as you say, but it was red."

"Red? How is that possible Neji? I've never seen anything but blue chakra in another shinobi, not even in an animal! But now Naruto has blue, then red, and now gold chakra?"

"I don't understand it either. There's something about him that's almost …"

"Inhuman." She finished.

Neji hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Yes, I don't like to use that word with him because I know the kind of shinobi he is, but his powers are most definitely beyond anything I've ever seen before." Neji thought of something and stared at his cousin, "Hinata, is there anything else? Anything else you saw that made you use that word? Inhuman?"

Hinata froze, the momentary hesitation said it all and she knew it. "Yes, there is something." She admitted. "But you have to promise me Neji, this is between you and me, you can't tell anyone especially father!"

"I promise, this is just between you and me." He swore.

"It was difficult, b … because his chakra network seems blurry somehow. Whenever I look at it it's as though it can block my Byakugan somehow. But when I tried really hard I was able to focus in on something, a shape in his chakra flow. When I focused in on it my eyes burned and I ran away from him, I was so frightened Neji!"

"What was it Hinata?"

She shuttered at the memory, "It was an eye Neji … a golden eye made of chakra. And it wasn't human, it had a vertical iris like some kind of predator. It saw me Neji, it looked at me!"

Neji's eyes bulged in shock, "The eye of an animal?!" She nodded. "Then I'm not crazy, there really is something there."

"You saw it too? During your fight?" she asked.

"No not an eye exactly, I think I saw the whole thing. When the strange red chakra surged through him that day I thought I saw a shape, something took form and looked at me. I never told anyone because I was sure they'd think I was crazy, I even managed to convince myself that it was my imagination. But it wasn't, you've seen it now too. There's something inside of Naruto, something frightening."

"Neji, what was the shape you saw?"

"If I didn't know any better … I'd say it was a fox."

The two stared at each other for a moment. Hinata broke the silence, "Neji I think Naruto might be in danger. When I was with him today I got the impression he didn't know about whatever it was inside him. But we can't help him either, we have to be careful."

"Why is that?" Neji asked.

"Because he's dangerous, dangerous to us at least."

Neji's eye's grew wide, "What do you mean _dangerous to us?_"

"The eye Neji, it hurt me somehow. Like it was able to use some kind of genjutsu on me or something. But I think the reason this happened is because it was able to use the Byakugan against me." She said.

Neji jumped up in disbelief, "WHAT!"

"Shhhhhh!" She shoosed him. "Quiet Neji! No one else must know. Something's happening to Naruto and it's dangerous, but I can't just tell anyone. I'm afraid he'll be in danger if I do. I have to help him Neji, I have to save him."

"But what can we do Hinata? We can't even look at him!"

"As long as you don't use the Byakugan on him you'll be fine, and even then you have to be within inches of his skin to see it. You'll be fine Neji."

"Why were you within inches?" Neji asked suddenly.

Hinata blushed, "Never mind Neji that's not important right now. What's important is we need to find out what's going on with Naruto, can you help me? I don't think father's going to let me out of here for a while."

"Ok, I'll help." Neji nodded.

* * *

"Ino you were right!" Naruto proclaimed. "Thisss shit is great!"

The warm sake tasted horrible to Naruto which was weird since it didn't have much of a taste that he could explain. He wasn't really going to drink the stuff in the first place he knew better, but Ino challenged his ninja way and somehow that got them started on a game she called 'Kings'.

"Told you so. And you weren't going to have any …" she teased.

"I know! Seems kind of shilly now doesn't it? You're the best Ino." Naruto smiled. "I wish you would have been my teammate, that would have been great." Naruto's head swayed a little bit as he tried to focus on Ino with one eye.

Ino was a bit surprised, she knew that Naruto had never drank before and would say all kinds of things, but she also knew that drunks either made no sense at all or spoke what was truly on their minds without the normal filters. There was no way to tell which kind Naruto was, but the comment made her blush regardless.

"Thanks Naruto, that means a lot to me. I know the kind of guy you are and I know that you really mean it. But enough of that! Since when did you get so cute?"

"Ino! Don't make me blush!" Naruto laughed.

Ino giggled too, she was an experienced drinker compared to Naruto but she was beginning to feel the effects of the sake. "Well it's true! Those were three really good years for you Naruto, you can't tell me you haven't noticed a difference in the way the girls are treating you since you got back!"

"Well yea I guesss so, but it's just sho weird. I don't really know what I should be doing or shaying most of the time. But whatever I'm doing it sure seems to be working." He said upending another glass. "Oh! So warm …"

"Ah ha! So you have been hit on already! I knew it, who was it? Tell me," she pleaded.

"What are you talking about? I'm not like that Ino-chaaaan, I never kizz and tell." He slurred.

Ino scooted closer to Naruto, "Ino-chan huh? You've never called me that before Naruto-kun …" she said, batting her eye lashes for effect.

"Inooooo … I promizzed I wouldn't take advantage of you remember? " Naruto stood up and puffed his chest out, "I made a promizze to be a gentleman Ino, I'llll proteck your virtuezz and I never go back on my wordz, that'zz my way of the ninjjaa!"

Ino got a serious look on her face, "You really wouldn't would you?"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, losing track of the conversation. "Wouldn't what?"

"Nothing," she said. "Ok, no more sake for you mister virgin drinker. I don't want you so wasted you're useless." She grabbed the sake glass from his hand and walked it into the kitchen.

"Awww come on Ino! I'm a big sshinobi now, I can handle my shhaaake! And what do you mean uselezz? I could kick a hundred azzes right now!"

Ino gave him a sly grin, she dropped the sakes cups in the sink and started walking towards him very slowly. Naruto watched her approach without a word, there wasn't much he was certain of right at that moment but he was sure that the look on her face was telling him shut the hell up. Somehow, he was beginning to feel like something's prey and his pulse quickened. When she reached him she put her palm on his chest and gave a hard shove, Naruto hit the couch and smiled up at his assailant, he wished for a moment that he wasn't quite so hazy because it made focusing on her difficult. But on the other hand having his brain was swimming in sake seemed to be filling said mind with lots of new and exciting ideas. In fact for the first time in his life that chapter he read in Icha Icha paradise was starting to make some real sense!

Ino glided forward and straddled him one leg at a time, never breaking eye contact. Naruto instinctively put his hands on her arms but she took them in her own and guided him to her rear.

"There's only one ass you need to be worried about right now Naruto …"

Naruto massaged her cheeks instinctively, reveling in the shapely kunoichi's supple behind. His breathing got ragged synching with the gyrating kunoichi above him. Ino ran her hands across his face and the sensations made Naruto's eye's roll into the back of his head. She attacked, kissing him hard and biting his lip while her hands unfastened his cloak and went to work on his shirt. Naruto's mind was on fire, nothing else mattered but this gorgeous woman. He couldn't get enough of her, the taste was intoxicating and he lunged forward moving down to her neck. She moaned with delight at the suction and he squeezed her ass hard, pulling her hips into his with an urgency that surprised them both. His body seemed to know what to do even when he didn't.

Ino pushed herself upright slowing the action. Smiling she pulled his shirt open and ran her nails down his lean muscular chest giving him goose bumps. "You've got a wonderful body Naruto," she smiled. "a _ninja's_ body. Would you like to see my body?"

Naruto ran his trembling hands up her thighs, he could feel his body responding to her and he knew she could feel it too. He couldn't even speak, but only nodded his head up and down.

Ino stared into his eyes, they were full of lust now, but it was still there, that kindness that never seemed to leave.

She unbuttoned her blouse slowly and let it slide off her narrow shoulders. Naruto breathed out involuntarily. Her breasts weren't large but they were perfectly shaped, and her puffy red nipples screamed her arousal louder than anything he'd ever heard in his life. Naruto took in the most erotic thing he'd ever seen in his entire life, and reached up to touch her.

"I like you Naruto-kun, I'm so glad I could do this for you …"

* * *

**Additional Notes: **Well I'm sure that I've got the diehard NaruHin fans in an uproar now! Without giving up too much plot, just keep in mind that there's a whole lot of ink left for everybody and the new Hinata isn't going down without a fight! For that matter when is Sakura going to throw her hat in the ring? Hmmmmmm


	11. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Naruto experiences his first hangover and gets his first assignment.

**Notes: **My longest chapter yet! Yet somehow it didn't move the story along as far as I'd hoped. Oh well. I've been having some emails with readers asking questions and I thought I'd throw a few out here in case anyone else is wondering the same things.

All the girls are after Naruto because in this story because he came back even a little more mature then he did in canon. I tried to relay that in the impressions of the girls (Sakura, Hinata, Ino & Kurenai) when they first meet him.

Ino may be a bit OOC, but she's always been the most shallow so she's the easiest to make slutty, and I did.

There were some hints in cannon that the nine-tails healing powers include the ability to fight off toxins, poisons, and the like which would also prevent Naruto from getting drunk. I've obviously decided that's not the case for this story :)

* * *

Chapter 11 – The Morning After

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you could see everything?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"Well not everything, I mean she wasn't naked of course, but that top left about ziltch to the imagination and let me tell you that little girl is built like a real woman! You walked in about 10 seconds too late to see the whole thing go down but it was just classic Kakashi." Jiraiya responded smiling. The two were walking down the street to get a bite to eat before planning missions and training for the next week. But somehow Hinata's breasts were the only topic they'd managed to discuss so far.

"I got that much from what I saw, the best was Hiashi though. I thought he was going to cry for a second there poor guy. Not that I've ever been a big fan of his, he's a stuck up jerk if you ask me … or anyone I've ever spoken too." The masked jounin added yawning.

Jiraiya giggled, "Yeah that was my second favorite part too. All in all some great material to close out my next book."

"Really? You wouldn't happen to have an advance copy for a dear friend would you?" Kakashi asked throwing his best attempt at a puppy dog eye.

"Get out of here! When was the last time you paid for one of my books anyway?" Kakashi sighed and looked away, looks like he'd just have to wait like everyone else this time. "Oh and by the way," Jiraiya added not wanting his friend to get too depressed. "What's this new training method you've been rambling about for Naruto?"

Kakashi's head snapped to attention, this would get his mind off that book. "Well it has to do with using the Shadow clone technique. I'm sure you know of course that any knowledge a shadow clone gains is transferred to the user when the technique ends?"

"Ahhhh, I see where you're going with this." Jiraiya smiled. "I've heard of this idea before, only problem is that the relationship between the number of clones you create isn't proportional to the real knowledge gained. That is too say 10 clones won't cut your learning time down to 1/10th of what it would have been."

Kakashi nodded his head, "Yes of course. You're talking about the mythical clone month, the problem is that each clone is starting off in exactly the same place as every other clone. They're all learning the same thing at the same time so the experience gained isn't cumulative. But since each one is a distinct entity there's always a chance that one of the clones will happen upon the knack for a technique before the others or the original. When that happens the clone is absorbed and the knowledge gained ahead of schedule."

"Sure it is, but again it's all a crap shoot, and since the technique splits chakra evenly among the clones and the original it makes many types of training harder if not impossible. Learning new techniques just takes a lot of chakra, chakra you don't have when you've given it to a bunch of clones. That's why no one uses this training technique." Jiraiya added proudly. He loved it when he could outsmart Kakashi.

"Eh, aren't you forgetting something there Jiraiya-sama? With Naruto's massive chakra reserves he actually _can_ use this technique and speed up his learning curve dramatically. While I can only make 5 to 10 clones and still be effective, and you can probably make 10 to 20 clones and still be effective, Naruto can make hundreds and still train effectively. Add to that he's only going to be learning the basics of nature manipulation which doesn't require lots of chakra and it should be quite the advantage for him."

Jiraiya's shoulders slumped, "Damn it! You're right. Why didn't I realize of this before?" he asked no one in particular.

Kakashi took in a deep breath of superiority, "Well that's why they pay me the big bucks you know."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, Gai was right. Kakashi really was too damn cool sometimes, it was annoying.

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened just a crack, and then immediately shut again. Nothing the day could offer was worth _that_ much pain! And since when was light painful?

He was sure from how he felt that he must be in the hospital recovering from a horrible injury. His throat was as dry as Gaara's sand and his head felt like it was ready to split in two. But as he forced his bloodshot eyes open it occurred to him that he couldn't remember any great battles lately, in fact he wasn't on a mission at all! Which would go quite a ways in explaining why his eyes were transmitting images of a smiling Ino back to his brain.

"Uhhh, Ino?" he moaned quietly.

"Good Morning," she smiled back. "Water?"

"Oh God Yes!" he croaked. Naruto grabbed the offered glass and sucked down the cool water like he hadn't seen anything like it in months. Ino just watched him smiling.

"_Poor guy, maybe I should have taken it easy on him. It's not like he's ever drank sake before so this would have to be his first hangover too._" Ino chuckled to herself. "_Well I guess this is just one more way I made a man out of you_!"

Naruto finished off the glass and looked back at Ino with a thankful look on his face. "Oh man, thank you Ino! I really needed that you have no idea."

"Oh I have a pretty good idea Naruto, you're not the first person to ever get a hangover you know." She replied.

"A hangover? What's that?" he asked, plopping back down into the bed.

"Are you kidding me? You don't know what a hangover is? Wow Naruto where exactly have you been for the last 3 years, in a cave? A hangover is what you get when you drink too much alcohol like I don't know … your new best friend Mr. Sake!" she said accusingly.

"I drank sake?" he asked trying to burrow through the hazy memories of the night before. "Is that why I can't remember anything?"

"Well I hope you didn't forget _everything_." Ino replied, getting up out of bed and stretching.

Naruto rolled over and glanced at Ino, and promptly quit breathing. Standing not two feet from him was a completely naked kunoichi, stretching and smiling pleasantly back at him. His eyes went as wide as saucer plates and his mind churned through every mental record it could find over the last 24 hours trying to put this new information into context, it failed miserably.

"INO!" Naruto spat out pointing a shaky finger at her. "INO! You're … you're …"

"I'm what?" she asked suddenly concerned. She looked down at herself and grabbed at her left cheek, "Is there a spider up my crack or something?"

"YOU'RE NAKED!" he screamed.

Ino sighed and let the cheek bounce back into place. "Way to utilize those ninja skills of observation there Naruto. I take it this means the next Hokage hasn't noticed his own condition?"

"What?" Naruto asked looking down. He was in a bed, a very nice bed in fact and sitting up the sheets still covered up to his waist. He grabbed the sheets and yanked them up, "I'M NAKED TOO?!"

Ino turned around and walked towards the bathroom, "Well at least you're getting caught up."

"And we're in bed together?! Ino what in the worl … " Naruto sputtered. He couldn't remember what he was going to say the moment he laid eyes on Ino's naked behind as she walked away. The way her cheeks seemed to wrestle for dominance as they slid smoothly past each other with each step had him completely mesmerized. She disappeared around the corner but he still didn't move.

"What is it Naruto?" she called from the bathroom.

Her voice broke him from his paralysis and Naruto blinked twice before he realized he felt a familiar sensation. "Oh no not now!" he pleaded.

He looked under the covers and confirmed he was sporting a full fledged morning wood. "Aww geeez," he muttered and quickly pulled the sheets back down to cover himself. "Did it have to be right now?" He realized that wasn't a fair question seeing as how Ino's ass probably had a lot to do with it but that was neither here nor there. Naruto looked around for his cloths and spotted them across the room on a table. Taking a last glance to make sure Ino was still in the bathroom he took a deep breath jumped up to go grab them.

"Well good morning to you too!" Ino beamed.

Naruto froze out of pure instinct. He was halfway to the table without a shred of clothing and couldn't ever remember feeling quite this exposed. Naruto's hands shot to his crotch in a vain attempt to cover himself. "_How the hell did she go to the bathroom that fast?"_

Ino giggled, "You're never gonna hide it when it's like that! Don't worry there stud, we can do it again if you want. I wouldn't want to send you home still wanting."

A sliver of clarity slapped Naruto across the face, "What do mean _again_?" he asked suspiciously.

"Are you kidding me? Man you really can't hold your sake can you? Poor guy doesn't even remember his first time. Well Mr. Future Hokage why don't you riddle me this; you woke up in _my_ bed completely naked, next to _me_ also completely naked, and you drank sake all night long. So what do _you_ think happened?" she asked smiling.

"Wait." Naruto said. He held up one finger, "Your bed …" He held up another finger, "Both naked …" And another, "You gave me sake …"

Naruto's jaw dropped in a huge gasp and he pointed at Ino again, "INO! YOU RAPED ME!"

"WHAT?! Why you ungrateful little shit!" Ino screamed. "Look at you! You're standing there pointing a huge hard-on at me and you think you got raped! I'll show you raped Naruto! You wanna see raped I got you're raped right here!" Naruto caught a quick flash of metal in her left hand.

"Whoa!" Naruto dove behind the bed barely avoiding a kunai that embedded itself 3 inches into the dresser behind him. "Ino come on! Weapons are really uncalled for here, I'm naked for Hokage's sake!" He tried peaking his head up over the bed only to see a grouping of shuriken following the same path as the kunai. "Damn it!" he yelled just ducking under the attack.

"_Where the hell did that hardware come from? I didn't see any pockets, she's freakin naked!_ _Damn this hangover is slowing my reflexes, I've got to get out of here before I get killed!"_ Naruto realized.

"Fine Naruto! Have it your way, no weapons it is! … KATON! …"

"Oh shit …."

* * *

"Well Kakashi I have to admit, you were right. That was one of the best breakfast's I've ever had! Too bad the food was so disgusting." Jiraiya sighed.

"Well I guess food isn't the main attraction at a place like that." Kakashi replied. "But that girl Ioko sure had you drooling."

"Mmmm Mmmm, did she ever! Man I just wanted to reach out and grab her … hey did you feel that?"

The two shinobi were passing by a small apartment complex and stopped to look at the nondescript door to their left marked number seven. "Feels like someone is performing some kind of jutsu in there doesn't it?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, stand back …" Jiraiya warned taking one step back. Just at that moment a loud WHOOSH emanated from behind number seven and then the door exploded open in a roar flame expelling a large amount of debris, fire, and a what looked to be a naked man trying desperately to cover himself with a few pieces of scattered clothing. The nearby villagers all dove for cover and the naked blond landed face down in street with his ass in the air.

Looking down Jiraiya smiled, "You know I should really visit more often, anyplace else in the world and that would be me!"

"Close enough." Kakashi replied watching the young man drag himself to his feet and try to hold his cloths over himself. "Hey Naruto! Decided to start off your day with some style I see."

Jiraiya did a double take, "Are you kidding me, Naruto is that you?"

Naruto cursed his luck, it would have to be the two biggest perverts he knew wouldn't it? He turned around to face both his sensei and tried to act casual, "Eh, you know me Kakashi-sensei, always training! He he …"

"That's what you get Naruto!" a voice yelled from number seven. The shinobi turned just in time to glimpse a still naked Ino slamming the door.

Three eyes slowly rotated back to Naruto. "And what training would that be?" Kakashi asked coolly. "Endurance?"

Naruto turned a bright red, "No Kakashi-sensei! It's not like that really!"

"Naruto you dog! I knew you were lying when you said you weren't reading my books! No young man can resist the carnal brilliance that my books embody." Jiraiya beamed triumphantly. "But you are going to have to pay me, I don't ever remember you purchasing a copy and I don't just give those away you see."

Naruto could see the small crowd that was gathering and pointing at the basically naked young man. "Uh, look, I'd love to stay and chat but I _really_ need to get going here …"

"Yeah that looks like it might be a good idea, " Jiraiya said noticing the crowd. "But before you go you need to go see Tsunade this morning about a few things, one of those things being a young miss Hyuuga I believe?"

Naruto's eyes went wide, "Oh crap, Hinata!"

"Eh pardon me for noticing but that girl wasn't Hinata." Kakashi noticed.

"It wasn't?!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Oh my, the student has now become the master …" he said bowing slightly.

"Ugh, I have to go!" Naruto yelled flashing towards the rooftops covering himself as best he could.

"Don't forget Tsunade and don't forget our training later!" Jiraiya called out. The two watched him disappear over the apartments.

"At least now I know what you were really teaching him the last three years."

"I had no idea he was paying that much attention! Well you raise em the best you can and then before you know it bam! They're all grown up and man whores and you just hope they make the right decisions, … and don't get caught."

"Jiraiya! Be serious, you did warn him how much more dangerous dating kunoichi is than normal women didn't you?"

"Oh God no! What fun would that be?"

* * *

"Enter …" Tsunade answered the knock. The door opened slowly and Naruto peeked his head around the corner. There were only a few people in this world that he truly feared and Tsunade was most definitely one of them.

Of course Shizune's warning didn't help either, "_After Tsunade kills you can I have the necklace?"_

"You wanted to see me?"

"Ah yes, Naruto. Please, come in and have a seat."

Naruto didn't like this one bit, she was never this cordial. He entered the office and closed the door quietly behind him. Taking his seat he waited for her to say something. "Yes Lady Tsunade?" he tried as politely as possible.

"Just one moment Naruto, I have to deal with a situation that just cropped up this morning. As if there's not enough going on around here without some new pervert running around."

"New pervert?"

"Yes, some degenerate streaker running all over the village, disgraceful, just disgraceful. Jorel!" she called out the window. A masked ANBU member appeared a moment later in the window sill.

"Yes Hokage-sama." He replied.

"Here's the full report of what we know. I want this scumbag found and brought straight to me. If he resists … well you know what to do." She smiled wickedly.

"Yes Hokage-sama!" The black ops shinobi vanished as quickly as he appeared.

She turned back towards Naruto and studied the young blond for a moment. "_Nice outfit, with that cloak he really does look just like his father. No wonder Kurenai was so freaked out. If he's going to scream it out like that he just should have been more up front instead of teasing her. Well I knew this would be an interesting week but maybe I better take him down a notch."_

"Now that we're alone …" She said walking over to the seated Naruto. He swallowed hard wondering what was coming. She could feel the anxiety pouring off of him, "Waiting for something?" she asked.

"Ummm, like what?"

"LIKE THIS!" Tsunade slammed her fist into the top of Naruto's head sending him straight through the chair and onto the hardwood floor. Shards of the chair blasted out in all directions covering the office.

"What the hell have you been up to Naruto!" she demanded.

"Owwww! Nothing I swear! Why did you hit me baachan?" Naruto whined rubbing his head.

"First of all, don't call me baachan! I'm not some old woman. Second is what the hell have you been running around the village causing trouble for? I had my office filled with people last night either trying to find out who you really are or have you arrested for what I think was sexual assault! Care to explain that?"

"Sexual assault?! Tsunade-sama I would never do that! I don't even know exact … wait, is that anything like rape?"

"Naruto! What … did … you … do?" Tsunade demanded through clenched teeth.

"No not me! I didn't rape anybody, but I think I _got_ raped last night!"

Tsunade's head crooked to one side and she turned around. "Ok, Ok, calm down Tsunade …" she talked herself back to her desk. She sat down and took a deep breath, "Ok, now why exactly is it that _you_ think Hinata raped you but _Hiashi_ thinks you raped Hinata but _Hinata_ seems to think no one raped anyone?"

"Hinata? What are you talking about? Hinata didn't rape me and I haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon. I think I got raped last night!"

"Not Hinata … You think?"

"Yeah, I don't exactly remember what happened but it sure looked like I got raped when I woke up." Naruto nodded seriously.

Tsunade just stared at him for minute, finally she leaned forward and whispered across her desk. "Naruto I'm only going to say this one time. Whatever is going on with you and these girls is starting to remind me a lot of Jiraiya. I don't even want to know what he taught you but if you start acting like that perverted old fool I'm going to strangle every last breath out of you myself, are we clear?"

Naruto nodded again in silent agreement, best not to disagree with Tsunade when she was serious. He wondered what he was going to do because as far as he could tell he hadn't done anything wrong. In fact he was putting quite a lot of effort into doing the right thing lately but every time a girl was involved things just seemed to get out of hand! Jutsu may have gotten a lot easier lately but he was beginning to suspect that women were where the real trouble lie.

Tsunade broke out into a big smile, "Now that that's done, I have some news for you! Go ahead and grab that chair in the corner." Naruto turned around and was surprised to see another chair identical to the one he was smashed through sitting in the corner. He wondered how many chairs she went through a week.

"First I wanted to congratulate you on the remarkable progress you've made during your time with Jiraiya! You're easily the most powerful Genin this village has ever seen!"

Naruto smiled, "Thanks Tsunade-sama! That means a lot coming from you."

"That wasn't a compliment Naruto. Seriously you're way to strong to be a genin, frankly it's a little embarrassing. You should be a chunnin by now at least if not a jounin. In fact you're the only one from your class that's still a genin."

"What?!" Naruto could feel himself shrink about 3 inches. "I'm the only one?" he asked sadly.

"Yep, the _ooonly_ one. But don't look so sad! That's the other reason I called you in here!"

"You're going to make me a chunnin? Thank you Tsunade-sama! Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!"

"Not so fast junior! I have no doubt about your ability but you still need to prove it just like everybody else!"

"Prove it? But you saw me, I got the bells from Kakashi-sensei in 30 minutes, what else do I have to do?"

"You have to pass the exam knuckle head! And good luck for you the exams are being held next week in the village hidden in the sand. What do you say, are up for it?"

Naruto jumped up on the chair he was so excited, "You bet I am Tsunade-sama! I'm going to kick some serious ass!"

"Good! Because that's your next assignment, you're to report to Jiraiya and Kakashi for 2 days of preparation and then you'll set out for the sand. Got it?"

"Got it, I won't let you down Tsunade-sama, the village hidden in the leaves is taking top honors this year guaranteed."

Tsunade smiled, "Good to hear it, now get down off of the damn chair before you break it! If there isn't anything else then?"

"Oh! There is one thing, it's about the house. When I was looking around the other day I found a big steel door with no lock or handle, the door must have been locked because I couldn't get it open and it looked strong enough to stand up to a rasengan so I didn't want to try and break into it. Can you tell me anything about it?"

"Hmmm, sounds like you found the vault. Many shinobi families especially _Hokages_ have such vaults in their homes. If there's no handle like you say then it's probably a chakra lock, the door should open for any family member that forces some chakra into the door itself. I'll double check the records to see if I can find anything else out but I can tell you that the 3rd would have cleared the vault of anything especially important before sealing the house. If there's anything he took it would be in the Hokage's vaults downstairs. If I find anything I'll let you know but until then you have orders, now go get ready for those exams!"

"Hai! I'm out of here." Naruto responded jumping out of his chair.

"Hang on I'll walk you out. Shizune! Get in here!"

Shizune ran into the office with a terrified look on her face, "Yes Lady Tsunade?!"

"This office is a disaster, Naruto broke his chair and I can't get any work done in here at all!"

"Hey!"

"Shut up Naruto. Shizune get someone in here to clean this up and I'll see you later." She said walking past the girl.

Her fears realized Shizune's head dropped. "Ok, " she whispered. "I'll get this cleaned up and cancel my plans for later … lots of paper work to catch up on."

* * *

Naruto raced out of Hokage tower and sped off towards the training grounds where Jiraiya and Kakashi were waiting. He hit the village museum rooftop and launched over to some apartments when thought he saw something strange out of the corner of his eye. He landed on the apartments and looked over to his left searching for anything out of the ordinary. "Bah, must be imagining things." he whispered to himself. Naruto took off again and disappeared into the distance.

On a nearby roof a section of tiles starting moving slightly and then surged up forming a crude human shape. The shape pulled itself free from the tiles and shimmered slightly before resolving into a middle aged man with pale white eyes. He tapped his headset, "Target acquired." He whispered.

"Excellent, " the crackling reply came back. "You have 36 hours, avoid detection at all costs. Protect the bloodline."

"Protect the bloodline."

* * *

Hinata was reading in her room when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." she called.

Hiashi opened the door and stepped inside. Hinata wasn't expecting her father and jumped up to meet him. "Father, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm your father and master of this house, I go where I please." He responded sharply.

She cast her gaze to the floor, he hadn't changed and was obviously here to tell her what a disappointment she was or to inform her of the latest punishment.

"I want to talk to you about yesterday, why did you go to see the Uzumaki boy?"

Hinata could immediately feel the heat rise in her checks, but she wasn't embarrassed, she was angry. What business was it of his anyways? He didn't know where she was or who she was with most of the time and never cared before. All he cared about was that she didn't embarrass the clan on some mission. He hadn't bothered with her in nearly four years since he stopped training her and passed her off to Kurenai-sensei. And now all of the sudden he was concerned about her personal life?

She lifted her head and meet her father's gaze. "He's a friend, and I wanted to spend the day with him. There's nothing more to tell."

Hiashi saw the shift in her stance and the look of defiance in her eyes, and he didn't like it one bit. "It sure looked like something else to me." He scowled.

Hinata didn't respond.

Hiashi fought down the urge to slap her, how many times had he warned her of that demon child?! This was just more proof that he'd made the right decision in not training her, she was weak of mind and body but at least she could put to use for the clan another way.

"Bah! I don't know why I waste my time with you." He turned around to leave. "You may leave your room and resume your normal schedule, there's no point in you wasting everyone else's time sitting here. For whatever reason Kurenai seems to think you have some value so you might as well fulfill it with her and your team."

He walked out and left her in silence.

Hinata clenched her fist into a tight ball. "_Fine, fuck him! What does he know anyway?"_ She slammed her door and walked over to the closet.

* * *

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called. He was entering the edge of the training grounds Tsunade told him about and he could see Kakashi alone, leaning up against a tree.

Kakashi looked up from his book, "S … Sensei!" he blurted.

"_My god he looks just like him! I never saw a picture of Minato-sensei when he was a child so Naruto never struck me as this similar before but now it's almost uncanny. The cloths make a big difference too."_ Kakashi glanced up at the sky, "_I wonder how things would have been different if you were still here sensei …"_

Naruto suddenly appeared next to Kakashi, "What did you say?" he asked.

"Oh nothing, never mind," Kakashi responded waving his hand. "So it looks like Tsunade let you live after all. That's good news, now Jiraiya owes me a nice bottle of sake."

"Ugghhh, don't mention that stuff …" Naruto responded sourly.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at this but decided to let it go. "Well either way I suppose it's time we got started on your training then huh?"

"Sure thing Kakashi-sensei! So what is the training today? Tsunade-sama told me you were going to help prep me for the chuunin exams next week!"

"Elemental recomposition! Sounds exciting doesn't it?"

This was a new one for Naruto, "Elemental recomposition? What's that?"

"Well when you mold chakra there are two basic ways you can manipulate it's character to achieve effects beyond typical ninjutsu, there's physical recomposition and elemental recomposition. Whether you're aware of it or not you've already mastered one of these."

"Really? If I'm learning elemental then you're saying I've already mastered physical?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi's heart jumped a bit at Naruto's deduction, "_Thank God he's starting to use his mind, training him looks like it's finally not going to be an uphill battle!"_

"That's right Naruto, the rasengan Jiraiya taught you is an extreme form of physical recomposition, giving physical form and control to chakra itself. In fact mastering that technique is an incredible accomplishment achieved by only three people before you to my knowledge. When we have more time teaching you other ways to utilize physical recomposition would be very useful."

"Three others?" Naruto interrupted. "Jiraiya-sensei can use it, and he learned it from the 4th Hokage himself. But who's the 3rd?"

Kakashi smiled slightly, "Well …"

The masked jounin lifted his left hand up and concentrated for a moment, as he did a familiar glowing yellow ball formed in his hand.

"You?!" Naruto yelled. "That's amazing Kakashi sensei! I should have known that you'd be the other one, no one knows more jutsu than you."

Kakashi chuckled, "I wish that were true, but yes I'm the other one. I rarely use the technique because I don't have the chakra capacity or physical ability to create a rasengan as powerful as you and Jiraiya. In fact my chidori is stronger than my rasengan, but I've used it once or twice."

"So Jiraiya-sensei was also your sensei then?" Naruto asked.

"Well … not exactly Naruto." Kakashi offered cryptically. Naruto raised an eyebrow at this but didn't say anything, instead opting for a 'and then?' look on his face. Kakashi sighed, he'd been dreading this for some time now because no matter how many times he went over the scenario in his head it never sounded right.

"I suppose I might as well just say it since Jiraiya-sama told me you know all about him now. Naruto, my jounin instructor was your father. He taught me the rasengan shortly before he died."

"My father was your sensei?" Naruto repeated stunned.

Kakashi nodded in response. "Yep, none other than the 4th Hokage himself. That's one of the reasons I was chosen to be your sensei, that and I asked."

Naruto just stared at his sensei for a moment, this was a lot of information to process all of the sudden and he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say.

Kakashi saw the blank stare and decided to break the uncomfortable silence, "I hope you're not upset Naruto, like everyone else I was under the strictest orders from the 3rd Hokage to never reveal your true identity to you. It was felt that if you or anyone else knew who you were that it would put it in even more danger than you already were. The 4th was an incredible force in the 2nd ninja war and there are a lot of people who would try to harm you just to get revenge for their losses during that dark time."

Naruto stayed silent for a moment, he wasn't upset as Kakashi for keeping him in the dark, that was understandable. But the questions! He probably asked Jiraiya 100 questions a day about his father until the aged shinobi threatened him with no training unless he kept it to 5 per day. But for some reason his first question wasn't really about his father.

"Kakashi-sensei, you asked to be my sensei?"

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, he wasn't mad at all. This really was a different Naruto he mused, some other youngster was going to have to take up the title of number one knucklehead ninja. This Naruto was well on his way to following in the footsteps of his father. "I guess I always felt that I owed your father for the things he taught me, and not just about ninjutsu. Your father taught me about what it truly _means_ to be a shinobi and a teammate at a time in my life when I let anger and regret rule my nindo, my way of the ninja. I only wish I'd heeded his words sooner …" he trailed off.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, seeing his sensei get lost in thought.

"What? Oh yes, well to make a long and very boring story short that's why I wanted to be your instructor, and that's why I've always tried to teach team seven teamwork above all else."

Naruto frowned, "Guess not everybody got the message did they?" Kakashi looked away and Naruto immediately regretted the comment. "That's not what I meant Kakashi-sensei! Look, I didn't understand it a first but Sasuke decided a long time ago to be who he is today. It wasn't your fault, you're a great teacher."

Kakashi managed a weak smile underneath his mask and looked back at Naruto. "Thanks for that. Well enough strolling down memory lane for now, we've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it. Before we get started we've got to find out what element your chakra leans toward."

* * *

Jun sat in the forest approximately 700 meters from Hatake Kakashi and the vessel. He was suppressing his own chakra to avoid detection while paying close attention to his senses trying to feel everything he could about the young shinobi he barely considered human.

"_Why does a great shinobi such as Hatake Kakashi waste his time on that creature?"_ he wondered in disgust. It never ceased to amaze him that some shinobi couldn't see what was right in front of their faces. The vessel was nothing more than that, a vessel. A mighty weapon of Konoha at best, a threat to the very existence of the world at worst, but always a monstrosity. This wasn't the first time he'd been tasked with tracking the vessel although it'd been a long time. In fact, that was starting to bother him a bit.

"_I know it's been a long time but I could swear that's not him! More like another shinobi in a henge to change their appearance. But Hiashi-sama told me to track him on sight only so this must be the reason. And the sheer intensity of that chakra must be coming from it, no ordinary human could generate something like that. But how could he change his chakra signature? Something's very wrong here."_

Jun decided to take a risk and utilize some chakra, "Byakugan." He whispered. The world burst into vivid relief and he could see the two shinobi in the distance as well as the rest of world around him in x-ray clarity. "What?!"

Jun involuntarily moved back a step, "What's going on?" he asked aloud.

* * *

**Additional Notes:** After reading some of the early reviews I decided to review something I wrote regarding "Physical & Spatial Recomposition" and "Nature or Elemantal manipulation." In issue 314 pg 11 Kakashi gives an example of"Physical Recomposition" as changing chakra into the form of lightning. In issue 315 pg 12 Kakashi says they're going to train Naruto in "Nature Manipulation" and proceeds with the leaf cutting training. In issue 316 pg 10 he says that cutting the leaf in half is "Physical Recomposition". In issue 318 pg 10 Kakashi and Naruto agree that cutting a waterfall in half is "Elemental Recomposition".

Confusing huh?

I believe that some of the very specific meaning was lost in translation. Personally I took several things from this. One is that **Recomposition** and **Manipulation** are used interchangably, that is they mean essentially the same thing which if you check the dictionary isn't _too _far from the truth. Two is that **Physical** and **Spatial** Recomposition both fall under the umbrella of being **Elemental Recomposition**. What I mean is you when you **Physically Recompose** chakra and you're wind natured you're using wind manipulation, when you're **Spatially Recomposing** chakra and you're water natured you're using water manipulation. They're both forms of **Elemantal Manipulation**, the result is dependent on your chakra nature. Wind manipulation of any kind creates some kind of cutting technique, fire manipultion of any kind creates some kind of heating or burning technique, and so on. So to summarize, both **Physical** and **Spatial** Recomposition _are_ **Elemental Maniplulations.**

Hopefully this will thoroughly confuse everyone enough that none will ever bother to ask me again. :) But really it will help explain any references I make to it in the future. Enjoy!


	12. Attack of the Clones

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Naruto's training begins!

**Notes: **Sorry about the long update, life calls and all that jazz... _I can't believe it!_ I totally spaced and left something out of Hiashi's conversation with his father Kanjero in Chapter 10, I've included this updated excerpt from Ch 10 to compensate, Doh! (It's actually a rather small plot point but I don't want to hear people calling me out on it later… It's just that Hiashi now knows about Naruto's heritage). The next two chapters are moving the plot along a bit so it's not as funny as I'd hoped but I'm still working on that. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch 10 Updated Excerpt:**

Hiashi couldn't hear anymore, he changed the subject to shut the old man up. "Hinata was with the vessel today Kanjero-sama! The entire day …"

This gave the old man pause, "She was, was she? Hmmmm, they are fellow nin of course, this isn't entirely unexpected. Why are you so concerned?"

Hiashi leveled a very serious look at his bedridden father, "There are a great many things that concern me father, not the least of which is the vessels identity."

"His identity?" Kanjero asked.

"Yes. I've always known the vessel was an orphan, but it never occurred to me his parents might be of any importance." Hiashi waited for his father to betray something.

"Spit it out boy!" Kanjero coughed.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed, "During our meeting Tsunade told everyone in the room that his name was _Namikaze_."

Kanjero sighed and looked down at his sheets, "So they finally told him did they?"

"You knew of this?! Why did you not tell me?"

"Because those few that knew were sworn to secrecy for the good of Konoha that's why! And because it doesn't matter as far as you're concerned, the identity of the vessel does not alter our purpose Hiashi," the elder Hyuuga warned. "Do you understand me?"

Hiashi nodded, "Yes Kanjero-sama, I understand. Is there anything else I should know?" he asked sarcastically.

* * *

Chapter 12 – Attack of the Clones

* * *

Hinata looked in the mirror, it was perfect. She had on her new knee high boots and the sleek black kunoichi shorts from the day before. She decided on a proper bra and mesh undershirt, topped with a black tank top and her new jacket. It was really the old jacket but she'd altered it to make into a half jacket, only reaching down to the top of her waist and with an open front. For the final change she pulled her long hair into a tight ponytail. This highlighted her large lavender eyes, one of her best features she decided since that night at Kurenai's.

Sexy not slutty, but still very functional. Hinata smiled to herself, her father would hate it! She nodded to her reflection and walked out the room. She needed to go see Kurenai-sensei and get some help if she was going to put her plans into action.

"Lady Hinata!" She turned at the sound of her name, it was Masa one of the Hyuuga's many attendants. The short woman was always nice to Hinata, in fact she was the one who taught her how to sow and alter clothing. It was one of the few things her father approved of her learning, 'At least be a decent wife' he said. Hinata could feel another surge of anger boiling up but she forced it back down, it certainly wasn't Masa she was angry at.

"Yes Masa, what is it?" Hinata asked.

Masa ran up to her and stopped with a shocked expression, obviously taking in Hinata's new uniform. "Uh, Lady Hinata … Master Kanjero requests your presence!"

"Grandfather?" Hinata felt a bit torn, she didn't really want her grandfather to see her like this but then again he would see it sooner or later so she might as well go. Change wasn't conditional she reasoned, and this wasn't about her grandfather it was about her.

She walked across the compound towards the east wing behind Masa noting all the looks she was getting from other members of the family. It didn't seem to be a coincidence that most of the dirty looks came from main house members while the branch members either looked surprised or actually smiled.

When they reached the door she knocked lightly and cracked it open, "Kanjero-ojiisan?" she called.

"Please come in child." Came the return.

She walked into the always dark room and let the heavy door close behind her. "You called for me grandfather?

"Yes!" he coughed. "What are you doing way over there child? Get over here and give your ojiisan a hug!"

"Um … sure." Hinata stuttered. She walked over to Kanjero's bedside and leaned in giving him a hug. "Are you well ojiisan?" she asked.

"Oh yes I'm fine, still kicking as always," he smiled. "But I wanted to ask you the same thing, how are you doing?"

"I … I'm well Kanjero- ojiisan."

"Uh-huh. I heard of your tussle in Tsunade-sama's office, and …" he said looking Hinata head to toe, "I see that you've decided to change your appearance somewhat?"

Hinata blushed and looked at the floor, "Yes grandfather, I guess I did."

Kanjero chuckled, "Yes I guess you did. Well, I suppose you weren't going to be my little darling forever now were you? But alas that's not why I called you here Hinata, I called you here to talk to about your young friend Naruto."

This was a surprise and Hinata's head jerked up slightly, "Naruto?"

Kanjero nodded, "Yes … Naruto." He leveled a serious gaze at her, "Naruto is a very special young man don't you think?"

Hinata didn't know what to say, she could only nod in agreement with her grandfather. "_What's going on? Is he talking about the date or about what I saw inside of Naruto? But he couldn't possibly know about that could he?"_

"Mmmmm, I thought so. You always were the perceptive one, so I'm not surprised that you noticed. That's why it does my heart good to know that you're a good friend to the young man, I'm told he doesn't have too many of those."

"Y … Yes Kanjero- ojiisan, I've always tried to be a good friend to Naruto-kun." She blushed lightly. "But tell me, why do you think he's … special?"

"Well I happen to think that any young man who captures the interest of my granddaughter is special, don't you?" he asked raising one eyebrow.

"Oh!" Hinata blurted out blushing madly. "Grandfather!"

"Oh don't act so surprised, I may not leave this room often but I still know a few things! If you're going to be seeing him again please try to keep an eye on the boy would you? I remember when I was on the council he was in trouble virtually every week, maybe you can be a good influence on him. Now then, I'm getting tired so please let an old man get his rest. And please remember that you can always come to me if ever need anything. Okay?"

"O … Okay ojiisan." Hinata responded.

"That's a good girl, have a good day and do your old grandfather proud!"

"Yes ojiisan, I will." She said, and walked out of the room.

In the hall Hinata's mind was in overdrive, "_That was weird! I can't believe this is just a coincidence, grandpa Kanjero asking about Naruto? I didn't even know he knew who Naruto was!"_

* * *

"Was that really necessary?" a voice asked from the corner.

Kanjero sighed, "I assume you saw what you wanted?"

"Not really but as long as it works."

"It will, she'll seek him out and watch him whether she knows she's doing it or not. If something happens she'll seek my counsel, we have our spy. "

"What about her eyes?"

"They look better than you described, they're probably healing. She'll be fine although if she tries to use her Byakugan she'll feel some discomfort for the next day or two."

"Are you sure?"

"We didn't suffer any permanent damage did we? And besides, I didn't know you were so concerned?"

"Please, I only asked because I never saw you use your Byakugan to inspect her."

"Of course ..." Kanjero smiled. "Now get out of my room and make sure you're invited the next time."

* * *

Naruto turned around and held up the test paper, it was cut cleanly in half. "So this means I'm a wind type then?"

"It does indeed." Kakashi replied trying not to sound too surprised. "Wind is the rarest of the types Naruto, I only know of one other leaf Shinobi who uses the wind element and that's Asuma."

"Really? Well that's something isn't it? So if the paper is anything to go by then wind element chakra specializes in cutting?" Naruto asked.

"Correct, when controlled properly wind can cut through nearly anything, and it's extremely difficult to defend against because blades of wind can't be blocked like a physical blade can. You must either counter with wind of your own, get out of the way, or hide behind something big. Wind is generally considered to be the strongest element for short and medium range combat."

Naruto broke out into a wide smile, "That's great! Once I get this I'll be unstoppable!"

"Unfortunately wind is also the hardest element to control, and we don't have much time. I'm going to try and teach you the basics before you head out to the sand and you can practice along the way."

"Sounds great! But uh ... where's Jiraiya-sensei? I thought you both were going to be working with me?"

Kakashi looked as incredulous as possible with only one eye showing, "What, I'm not good enough for you?"

"Oh no, don't try that guilt trip stuff on me, I'm getting too old for that! You know perfectly well I think you're one of the greatest shinobi alive. I was just wondering where he was."

Kakashi chuckled, "You're no fun Naruto. I lost a bet to Jiraiya-sama and he got out of teaching for the day, he's ... researching today."

"Pfff, I know all about Ero-sennin's _research,"_ Naruto retorted. He slapped his hands together and rubbed them together slowly, "If the geezer wants to miss out then that's his loss. We'll just get stronger without him!"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, training Naruto was always entertaining and the boys enthusiasm seemed to be unending. He jerked his thumb towards the tree behind him, "See that tree? I want you to create as many clones as you can and have each one grab a leaf. Then I want you to practice cutting the leaves in half with your chakra only. Think you can do it?"

"No problem," Naruto grinned. He threw his hands together in a cross and called out, "Kage no Bushin!" The field exploded in a cloud of smoke and when it cleared there were Naruto's all over it. "Get a leaf everybody!" one called out, and a mob scene broke out as they crowd assaulted the tree simultaneously.

Kakashi waited until they were done and the first of the clones started on the exercise. He leaned over to the closest Naruto, "Hey, how many clones did you make?"

Naruto, or rather a clone of Naruto Kakashi assumed looked up, "100! Pretty impressive huh?"

"As always, " Kakashi responded. Behind his mask the jounin frowned. He was sure Naruto was able to create more clones then this with he was twelve. Being seventeen the young man should be a lot more powerful, he wondered briefly if this had to do with the merger Jiraiya mentioned. '_He's different now, he knows his limits but don't push him too much yet,'_ the sanin told him. He stood back and pulled out a copy of 'Make out Tactics Vol 3' and started reading while keeping half his attention on the blond army.

* * *

Hinata was about to knock but stopped at the last minute, she tell Kurenai was about to …

"Something I can help you with Hinata?" Kurenai asked opening the door. The two women smiled at each other.

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is."

Kurenai gave her student a once over, she was more than a little surprised to see her back in nearly that same outfit from the Hokage's office. If she didn't have a falling out with her father already than it couldn't be too far off, _this is going to be interesting_, she smiled. "So I take it you're ready?"

"Oh yea, it's time," Hinata responded with a grin.

* * *

Kakashi finished chapter 9 and looked up eyeing all directions. He knew he had his mask on but somehow felt worried that someone would see him blushing. "_Jiraiya you pervert! Not even a shinobi could have that kind of stamina._"

"Oh well," he sighed. He looked over at Naruto and his 99 best friends Naruto and decided to check on their progress. "Hey Naruto! How's the training going?"

The closest 10 or so heard him and stopped which started a chain reaction among the crowd. Just a moment later they all stopped and someone near the middle called out, "All right show em!" Kakashi watched with interest as they all held up their leaves and compared the cuts. Somewhere in the back of his mind Kakashi felt a twitch, like he missed something important but the feeling was faint so he ignored it.

"Hey look at me!" a Naruto on the far side yelled out holding up his leaf. "I'm halfway there, anybody got that beat?" he asked.

"Read em and weep ladies," one near the left edge responded. The triumphant Naruto held up a leaf cut nearly the entire way through.

The first Naruto shook his head, "Damn, and I thought I was good."

"You _are_ good!" the winner shot back grinning. "You're me remember? Or maybe I'm you, I can never keep that straight. I think it's time to merge and rest guys." The group nodded and vanished in cloud of smoke.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow a bit when he noticed that the remaining Naruto was standing close by, for some reason he had the impression that the young man was farther away. He didn't have long to ponder the discrepancy however as Naruto's eyes immediately rolled back in his head and fell forward. Rushing forward he caught the blond. "_I thought this might happen, he's absorbed the collective stress as well as the collective experience. I'll let him rest an hour and then wake him up for lunch, maybe we'll be able to resume after that,_" he thought.

* * *

"This is fucking useless."

Neji was frustrated. It was bad enough that the branch family library was located in what he suspected was a converted dungeon, but the books and scrolls were largely basic and always full of gaps. Edited by the main branch no doubt. He kicked the table and watched the round scrolls roll to the end of the table and finally off, clattering loudly against the cold stone floor below. Neji imagined briefly that he could ignore the sound, and that the sight of the scrolls vanishing from the end of the table was the end of their journey. The scrolls simply ceased to exist once they vanished from his sight. It was the kind trick only a mind that relied far too heavily on sight could play on itself.

Neji broke from his momentary reverie and looked around the library, eight hours and nothing, no mention of strange effects or energies working against the Byakugan whatsoever. Not that he expected anything different really, if there were any such things they would only be recorded in the main branch's library and even then would be restricted. Any information about a weakness of the Byakugan would guarded like no other.

Berating himself for his stupidity he walked around the table and picked up the fallen scrolls so he could start cleaning up and go find Hinata. Sensing the weight in his hands his mind seemed somehow satisfied that the scrolls did indeed exist , and the name Schrödinger flashed across his mind for some reason. The solid wooden end caps drew his attention, he'd read them before of course but inexplicitly he felt drawn to read them again, "_September_ …" He looked at this other hand, "_November_ …".

"_That's right, the October scroll was missing,_" he remembered. Feeling masochistic he walked over the library's register and scanned the entries looking for a note of someone checking the scroll out. The white eyed jounin furrowed his brow, as far as he looked there was no mention of the scroll being removed from the library all the way back to the last inventory which noted all items in the archives accounted for.

"_But how could that be?_" he wondered. "_What could be in that scroll that's important enough for the entire thing to be removed from the library?_" He walked back over to the rack and checked it again.

"Now where's October of … which year was it?" He glanced over at the September scroll again noting the date printed on it. Neji froze and stared at the number, "That's odd. That would mean the scroll that's missing recorded the …" Neji gasped. "I have to find Hinata!" he shouted and bolted out the door.

* * *

Naruto and Kakashi sat quietly eating their rice balls. It was an odd experience for Kakashi because this was really the first time since his return that he'd spent any time alone with his former knucklehead student. While the young man's private life seemed to be taking on that same clumsy hopelessness he remembered, Naruto's personality as a whole was much more mature. The fact that he hadn't spoken more than three words since waking up proof enough of that, if he didn't know any better Kakashi thought he was actually reflecting on his morning training session.

He was waiting for Naruto to start off the conversation but much to his chagrin Kakashi's curiosity got the best of him first, "So Naruto, what's on your mind?"

Naruto focused on him for the first time since waking up, "I was just thinking about how I almost cut that leaf through," he responded.

"Don't you mean your clone?"

"Yea sure, my clone. Say that reminds me, I think I want to try creating a few more clones after lunch to finish this training. I mean 100 clones giving it their everything and all we managed was to _almost_ sever a leaf? Kinda pathetic don't you think?"

Kakashi chuckled, "I forgot how impatient you are. Naruto you're making incredible progress, most people take years to learn how to leverage the elemental nature of their chakra. It's a very subtle thing not to mention yours is noted as being the most difficult nature to master. One morning and you've already made a cut, I'll bet not even your father learned this quick."

"My father? Was he also a wind type?" Naruto asked with a sudden burst of energy.

Kakashi nodded, he knew mentioning Minato would get his attention. Naruto would be training again in the next five minutes. "Yes he was, that's where you got it from no doubt. Your father in fact was the one who trained me in elemental manipulation so maybe I should give you the same advice he gave me."

"Yes you should!" Naruto admonished. "Why didn't you tell me this in the beginning?"

"Because I didn't think you get this far today, now quit whining." Kakashi reset his posture before continuing. "Now then, we can all use our chakra to perform many of the same basic techniques. But this is treating chakra like a sledgehammer when in fact it's an artist's brush. You can _use_ your chakra Naruto, but you don't yet _know_ your chakra. To know your chakra you must learn it's personality and discover the right way to negotiate with that. Each element has its own personality, fire is angry and aggressive, water is cool and passive, earth is stubborn, lightning is wild, and the wind is free."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "The wind is free? How is that helpful?"

"You have to work with your elements personality, I'm a lightning type so my chakra's nature is to be wild and unpredictable. It's almost hard to describe but to use my chakra's lightning nature I have to also be wild, almost on the edge as it were. Since the wind is free and unbound it flows where it wants on a whim. Minato-sensei once told me that manipulating the wind was like being a part of it, you can't _force_ the wind to do your bidding, you have to flow along with it until your desires become the wind's desires."

"So I have to be a jedi?"

"A what?"

"Never mind," Naruto muttered standing up. "So I have to be one with the wind do I? It's time to back to work, lunch is over." Naruto walked back over to the clearing and took up wide stance with his back to Kakashi.

The older man watched from underneath the same tree he watched the morning session from, but Naruto didn't seem to be doing anything. He gave it another second before questioning the blond, "Hey Naruto! Is something wrong?"

Naruto didn't respond for a moment, "No, I'm just trying to concentrate. Time to dig a little deeper this time."

Kakashi's eye squinted recalling Jiraiya's warning, "_don't push him too much yet._"

"Don't do anything stupid, it's just training," he yelled.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Kakashi watched as the field again filled with Naruto's, only this time there were quite a few more. It actually reminded him of what he'd seen Naruto do as a child. "How many this time?" he asked.

One of the clones closest to him turned around, "Two hundred and …" it stuttered.

"Naruto?" he asked too quietly for the clone to hear. The clone looked disoriented and nearly stumbled. Kakashi looked past him and saw that all the Naruto's seemed to be having the same problem.

"Shit!" he swore and tore his hitai-ate up exposing the Sharingan. Kakashi could see the clone's chakra and it was bouncing all over the place. "Naruto! Cancel the jutsu before you lose control!" he yelled. He'd seen this before and it was never good, back fired jutsu's could do anything depending on any number of factors and Kakashi didn't want to see what one of this magnitude would yield.

Naruto heard Kakashi yelling somewhere to his right but he couldn't make out the words. Everything seemed blurry and it felt like his insides were making a bid to escape. He could feel his chakra shrinking and expanding with incredible force threatening to simultaneously crush and tear him apart despite his silent commands for it to still. This was bad, this felt worse than the last time. "Kakashi-sensei! Get back!" he tried to scream, but he wasn't sure how much got out with the world spinning and the only thing hitting his ears a dull roar.

"Damn it which one is the real one?" Kakashi scanned the field with his Sharingan but even to his eyes they all looked the same. "Who taught him this jutsu anyways?!" he spat in frustration. The Naruto's all grabbed their heads and started screaming. Kakashi watched in horror as one of the clones nearest him blurred for split second like a bad video signal. "What the hell?"

Another one, and that one, and there! Kakashi's Sharingan spun wildly trying to track the clones and check off the ones that blurred. The real one couldn't blur he figured, and he had to find the real Naruto and somehow stop him before …

BOOM! The deep sound of an explosion rocked the far side of the group sending out a powerful shockwave out that knocked down the nearest 30 clones.

Kakashi's eyes flared, "No not that!" He missed the first one but not the second, BOOM! "The clones are detonating!"

The third explosion caused the forth almost instantly, and the chain reaction grew out of nothing to consume the entire left edge in a heartbeat. "NARUTO!" Kakashi screamed lunging forward. There were still around 43 possibilities according to his eye but 3 were in the center which was the most likely place for the original. He broke into the near edge of the group and weaved his way through the bodies praying that one didn't detonate right in front of his face.

The shockwave from a nearby explosion threw him 10 feet to the right but he managed a midair cartwheel and landed in stride still headed to the center. "Naruto where are you?!" he screamed racing ahead. Superheated bits of dirt, rock, and grass showered him from the left as the detonations from that side picked up speed and started to blur together in his ears. The individual explosions blended into a continuous roar and Kakashi couldn't even hear himself screaming.

"_Almost there, which one is it?_" The three near the middle were still there but none of them had blurred and there was nothing to tell them apart except … "_NARUTO!_"

The massive fireball ripped through the field and consumed the entire area, one last compression wave radiated out and crushed against the trees lining the area. Dirt, leaves, and debris flowed out into the forest in every direction and the deep bass of the combined explosions echoed for miles in every direction.

* * *

Hinata felt it before she heard it, and she jerked her head to the left and out Kurenai's window when the sound of the distance disturbance hit her. "What the heck was that?" she asked herself but loud enough for Kurenai to hear.

Standing behind her Kurenai scanned the distance but couldn't see anything but mountain tops over the nearby apartments. "What about you, can you see anything?" she asked.

"Byakugan," Hinata said. The apartments in front of her turned as transparent as a pane of glass and she focused her eyes on a distance far past that. A second later she could see the distant training area, it caught her attention because of the smoke and general carnage, and a wisp of … _Gold_?

Hinata took in a sharp breath, "Naruto-kun …" she whispered.

Kurenai looked at her, "What did you just say?"

* * *

Kanjero heard the distant echo, but he was already looking out his window.

* * *

"Jorel!" Tsunade called out her window. The masked ANBU appeared as if from nowhere bowing to her.

"Yes Hokage-sama!"

"Investigate that noise, it was too large for any normal training. I want a preliminary report in the next 15 minutes," she demanded.

* * *

Jun couldn't believe his eyes, he stood at the edge of the clearing and gawked at the destruction. The clearing was an eighth mile across and nearly every inch was blackened. The smoke was starting to thin out and he could see the entire way across now but neither Kakashi Hatake nor the vessel were anywhere to be found.

"It can't be … were they obliterated?" he asked himself. He checked side to side nervously, there wasn't much time. Someone would be here soon to investigate but he didn't want to leave without knowing if either ninja were dead or injured. He activated his Byakugan and scanned every direction at once. A moment later he located the two several feet underground near the center of the burnt area. squinted as he focused in on his targets trying to determine their condition. There was chakra flowing through both of them, Hatake more so than the vessel but neither of them was moving.

Jun resisted the urge to move, he couldn't afford to be caught by the ANBU that would undoubtedly show up soon. The two were still alive, but appeared unconscious and being buried might not stay alive for a terribly long time. And then there wasn't even a guarantee the ANBU would detect them when they got here. The vessel could up and die for all he cared but what about Hatake? The elite jounin was famous and a huge asset of the village and a fellow leaf shinobi. He grit his teeth together in frustration, "Stupid vessel!"

Jun raced towards the two and started digging, he immediately wished for a moment that he knew some earth jutsu but Hyuuga didn't study those kinds of things. "Hatake!" he called into the smoldering earth. "V … Naruto!" He continued digging but winced at the sound of the name escaping his lips. Lifting a large stone up he wondered if that was the first time he'd ever used the it before.

A sense pricked at the back of his mind and Jun knew someone was approaching. He kept digging and directed his thoughts to an alibi. "Nothing complicated, keep it simple," he told himself. He was a passerby when the deafening explosion drew him in and his Byakugan made knowing the location of the two easy to explain.

Two masked shinobi landed next to him and Jun faked surprise. The closest was obviously a man and only about 2 meters from him, the other appeared female and touched down about 10 meters directly behind him, obviously providing cover in what Jun suspected was a nearly unconscious tactic. "What happened here?" the man demanded.

Jun put on his best panicked face, "There's two men trapped under the earth here!" he yelled exasperatedly. "Hurry up and help dig!"

"Stand back, I'll get them out." The ANBU responded coolly.

Jun stood back and watched the other man run through a series of hand signs and place his palms flat against the charred ground. The earth beneath his feet shuttered and parted away slowly, the particles of sand flying out from a center location to reveal what lie underneath.

"There!" Jun shouted. The blue of Kakashi's sleeve came into view after only a foot or so and the ANBU pushed more chakra into his technique speeding it up, instantly surging the bodies of both men to the surface.

The ANBU ended his technique and rushed over to Kakashi, "Eiko, Check the other one!" he directed his companion. "Kakashi-senpai, can you hear me?" he ask the masked jounin. Jorel recognized Kakashi immediately, the man was legend in the ANBU corps for being one of its most feared and later famous members.

One eye fluttered open, "W … Where's Naruto?" he asked weakly.

"He's being looked after Kakashi-senpai," Jorel responded. "We need to get you both to Tsunade-sama immediately." The ANBU cradled Kakashi as gently as he could and turned his head back to Jun, "Please follow us to the hospital," he said jumping away.

Jun watched the four exiting the area and considered just running for it. They'd seen his eyes which meant that they already knew where to find him, and the Hyuuga didn't relish the idea of trying to explain to the ANBU why he'd run away from a scene that he had no logical reason to flee in the first place.

"Shit."

* * *

Sakura was finishing up the paperwork from her last set of rounds. This was why you didn't piss off Tsunade, _especially_ when you were one of her students. Eighteen hour shifts at the hospital were nothing to sneeze at, _especially_ when you were put on bedpan duty. Sakura shuttered involuntarily, what the fuck did that guy eat?

"Sakura-san!" She perked up immediately at the sound of her name, when people shouted your name in a hospital setting it was usually for a reason. One of the shift nurses was running down the hallway with the experienced clam and yet somehow still manic look on her face that screamed triage, "Sakura-san! Come quick, the ANBU have just brought in two injured nin and one of them is unconscious!"

Sakura burst into the room and saw that the emergency room was already a small disaster, there were two groups of people containing nurses and doctors on one side and ANBU and someone else she didn't recognize on the other side. "Help him!" Kakashi yelled weakly. He was trying pathetically to fend off 2 interns and the head nurse.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura ran over to the masked jounin and pushed the others aside giving him a quick once over. He looked like he just went through a small tornado judging by all the cuts and bruises, but the burns ruled out that particular possibility.

"Sakura … I'm OK … help Naruto," he pointed over to the other side of the room.

She spun around so fast that the ANBU tensed up. "What?!" She immediately saw that behind the ANBU and the stranger was another man on a gurney with no one attending him, and the spiky blond hair ... "Naruto!"

She was beside him in a instant, the ANBU stood aside to make room but didn't really move away. Naruto's condition looked about the same as Kakashi's but he was unconscious and that was never a good sign, especially considering how she'd seen Naruto weather punishment's that she didn't think possible and still keep going. She thrust her hands out and began healing the worst injuries first to stem the bleeding. "What happened to him?" she asked the ANBU to her left without looking at him.

"Unknown Sakura-san. There was a large explosion and Tsunade-sama sent us to investigate. Naruto and Kakashi-senpai were found several feet underground. The area was badly damaged, they were obviously caught in a large explosion but other than that I cannot say. When our investigation is complete we will inform Tsunade-sama."

She wasn't giving the man her full attention but caught enough to know that that was all she was going to get from the man, she'd have to ask Tsunade if she wanted to know the results of the investigation. But then another even more pressing question rammed through her mind, "Why was no one helping Naruto?"

Jorel shifted a bit at that, he knew exactly why no one was helping Naruto but knew that treading lightly was paramount here. The young girl was the Hokage's apprentice and was already well known for adopting not only the 5th's insane physical strength, but her tendency to crush bones first and ask questions later. "We brought them both in immediately but the staff … seemed to feel that Kakashi-senpai needed their help first." He offered.

Sakura felt her blood boil immediately, the only thing keeping her rooted in place was Naruto's condition. "One of you fuckers get over here and help me!" she snarled over her shoulder. Both of the ANBU and Jun took a step back from the kunoichi, to give the girl room to work of course.

Jorel looked over at the small gaggle of physicians crowding around Kakashi and watched in amazement as none of them moved. He was nearly 35 and knew exactly who Naruto was and why the doctors didn't want to help him. He didn't really want to drag the demon back here to save his life but he had a duty, a sworn oath and it simply never occurred to him to disobey so brashly. He looked back at Sakura and watched her work fervently on the demon boy, she knew the others weren't going to help her but she didn't stop, she didn't even keep yelling at them she just worked. He looked down at the demon, the blood and burnt flesh on his face couldn't hide the young man's features, he looked like … just some guy.

"Damn it Naruto! Wake up you thick headed Baka!" Sakura swore at him. He should be waking up by now, if not than that might mean a head injury but she couldn't even begin treating him for that possibility until she could be sure he wasn't bleeding internally. "Quick, someone get Tsunade," she commanded to no one in particular.

"Immediately!" Eiko responded and vanished into thin air.

Jun watched the young medic nin intently, she was so inexplicitly like Kakashi that way. What was it with these people?

Jorel couldn't take his eyes off of Naruto, what was looking for? What was he missing? His sight settled on the man's hitai-ate, there was a large smear of blood covering the leaf symbol …

Jorel felt his body turn and march across the room but he could swear it wasn't him giving the command. He leaned into the group of doctors still crowding Kakashi, "You are doctors, it's your duty to heal the injured. One of you get over there and help Sakura-kun." It was his voice but were those his words?

Two of them glanced at him but didn't move. He leaned in closer, "Or I'll kill you …"

The men on the outside, the ones who weren't even close enough to being doing anything anyways stared up at him with a look of abject horror. An ANBU's mask totally obscures his face, which always appeared to dehumanize them to a certain degree and added greatly to their intimidation factor. Additionally it made it impossible to tell just how serious they really were when saying something like that, but this one sounded awfully serious.

The two men shuffled across the room without ever turning their backs on the terrifying shinobi and immediately started helping Sakura.

Jorel didn't move for a moment, what the hell was that? He looked up and saw the Hyuuga staring at him. He needed to get out of here, "You, come with me into the waiting room, I must ask you a few questions."

* * *

**Authors Notes:** I hope it was worth the wait, damn story keeps trying to be a drama and I keep having to wrestle it back to a lighter tone. Lot's of side plots in the works now, Hinata's definately up to something but so is Kanjero. Any idea's on wether he's good or evil? Neji's onto something but now our hero is in sakura's clutches! Muhahahaha. Tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel! (I know, that was really lame... :) )


	13. Sakura Strikes Back

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Naruto's hurt but don't worry, Sakura's there to take care of him. Question is will anyone take care of Sakura?

**Notes: **You know what the worst thing about writing fic is? When you read others peoples fic's and wonder "_Why the hell didn't I think of that!"_ Oh well, next time :) So I still feel like this story doesn't know what it wants to be yet, the tone seems to change from chapter and it's driving me a little nuts. My guess is that it's going to continue to be a spastic union of serious with a plot fan fic and totally ridiculous slap-stick slash sex fic. And yes I wrote the word slash, see what I mean? I'm still committed to finishing it but I'm definitely itching to write a new one as well, keep those comments coming and let me know how I'm doing! The feedback is very helpful unless you're mean and then I just won't like you :) Oh and the star wars titles are just a happy conincidence...

* * *

Chapter 13 – Sakura Strikes Back

* * *

"And then you took cover with an earth technique?" Tsunade asked.

Kakashi nodded.

There was a very good reason the masked man was a special jounin, and every time she forgot what it was he went and did something like this and reminded her just how rare he was. It was a comforting thought for her knowing that there were other shinobi in the village who could probably lead just as well as she could, somehow it made the burden of being the Hokage a bit easier to bear. Shoving the thought aside she got back to the situation at hand. "So much for Naruto knowing his limits," she said dismissively.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow from behind his sheet, "I think he _does_ know, he seemed to concentrate especially hard before attempting the Kage Bunshin. In retrospect he was apparently trying to prepare himself for pushing those limits. He must have thought he could handle creating that many clones but obviously overestimated his abilities."

"Obviously," she sighed. "Where was Jiraiya?"

"I'm not sure exactly … he said he had some things to take care of and left me with some instructions," he lied. Jiraiya didn't leave him a damn thing but he didn't usually expect much more from his friend anyways, the sannin had had a tendency to let everyone learn via the old '_Sink or _Swim' method as long as Kakashi had known him. He was upset at Jiraiya in the least but considering that his presence might have stopped Naruto from almost killing himself Tsunade wouldn't be so kind.

"Sure he did, left you just enough instructions to get one or both of you killed." She muttered. Kakashi looked like he was going to make some other excuse for his buddy but she cut him off first, "I'm going to go check on Naruto, get some rest and we'll talk later." Kakashi did as he was told, there was no use arguing with her. She knew each one of them well enough to head off any white lies anyway.

Tsunade walked down the hall and came to a stop in front of the room Naruto was in. She frowned a little bit sensing Sakura still inside, her apprentice hadn't left his side since he was brought in an hour before. And considering what happened the other night in her office …

She pushed the door open quietly and walked inside. "Still isn't awake yet?" she asked. Sakura shook her head side to side without looking up. Tsunade's frown deepened, thanks to Kakashi's heroics Naruto's wounds were only superficial. Well, they were only superficial _for him_ that is. She couldn't find any signs of serious head trauma when she examined him or any other issues that would keep him out so he should have been awake by now. But still it wasn't quite time to panic yet, just time to keep watch. She let her thoughts drift to Sakura, she sure was taking this hard. It wasn't like she hadn't seen Naruto in the hospital before or anything. "What is it Sakura?"

Sakura still wouldn't meet her eyes but she did respond, "Why wouldn't they help him?"

There was a sadness in her voice that tugged at Tsunade's heart, she'd never heard her apprentice use anything like it before. "What do you mean?"

"When I ran into the trauma room everyone was helping Kakashi-sensei and no one would help Naruto, even when I yelled at them. I know that a lot of the villagers hate him but why would a doctor refuse to help him?"

"But there were two residents helping you when I came in," Tsunade said confused.

Sakura looked up at her with red puffy eyes and Tsunade held her breath, she hadn't realized Sakura was crying. "They refused Tsunade- sensei, they only helped because that ANBU threatened them."

"Oh _Really_?" Tsunade's eyes flashed dangerously. When the Hokage was a medic-nin most physicians performed their jobs everyday like their lives depended on it, but refusing to give care to a village shinobi, _any_ shinobi, was borderline suicide. _Obviously_, someone forgot who the fucking Hokage was! "Can you stay to take care of Naruto?" she asked. It was in the form of a question but somehow Sakura knew it was a command.

"Yes Tsunade- sensei, I won't leave him." Sakura replied. She wanted to stay with Naruto regardless but seeing that look in Tsunade's eye would have convinced her to volunteer for a superglue enema.

Tsunade spun around and stormed out the door but stopped halfway, remembering another concern. "Are your recent _issues_ regarding him going to be an issue anymore?"

"No Tsunade-sensei!" Sakura snapped to attention.

Tsunade kicked the doors open and surged into the hallway more like a natural phenomenon than the borderline homicidal maniac she was, but it was one of those occasions that the differences between the two really didn't matter that much and everyone who laid eyes on her knew it. Sakura heard a passing nurse scream and duck for cover. "Hey Baka! I want _EVERY_ staff member over the age of 30 in conference room A in 10 fucking minutes! Got it?!"

Sakura blinked as her sensei's voice faded away to a dull roar punctuated by the occasional scream of a random staff member, or at least she hoped it was a staff member. Sitting there though Sakura couldn't help but feel that Tsunade should have been more surprised that the residents didn't want to treat Naruto, she was simply angry. It's not like she expected the Hokage to be pleasant when her medical staff ignored the Hippocratic oath, but there was still something off about the woman's reaction.

She looked back at Naruto, his eyes were moving underneath lids, dreaming was a good sign. "What is it about you Naruto? Why are you such a mystery?"

* * *

Naruto looked around in surprise, what was going on? Why was he here? The watery dark halls of his subconscious stretched out in all directions just like he remembered, but he hadn't been here since the seal was completed, since the merger.

He looked all around him, there were no sounds except his own footsteps sloshing around in the shallow water and every direction looked essentially the same. Yet somehow he knew which direction to go, to find the cage. "_The direction isn't important anyway, these passage ways are more metaphors than anything else. What's important is that I travel, and have a destination,_" he realized with a start. Naruto started forward and looked for the giant cage that he knew was in here somewhere. It's not that he particularly wanted to see the bastard fox again but that was the only thing he'd ever done in here before, so he reasoned he must be here to see it again for some reason. A voice in the back of his mind kept nagging him that if he was here then what the hell was happening to his body but he ignored it. There was nothing he could do about that until he got out of his mind.

He trudged ahead and came to an intersection, he turned left but heard something behind him. Naruto spun around but there was nothing there but another dark passage vanishing into the distance.

"**What'ca afraid of kid? Shadows in your mind?"**

"Shit!" Naruto crouched low and scanned every direction. He backed up against a wall, not that that mattered the more he thought about it. How much protection could a wall provide that didn't exist?

"**Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm …"** The massive cackle echoed everywhere and Naruto couldn't put a direction to it at all.

"What the fuck do want fox?!" he screamed.

"**Well, well … not very polite are we? Is that wise considering your position?"**

Naruto considered that for a moment, he didn't know why he was here or how the damn fox was doing what he was doing. It had never spoken to him before until he found _it_, but this was different. And different seemed awfully bad. But still, the fox was the one trapped not him and he needed to find out what the fuck was going on, he just needed to be careful .

Naruto stood up and tried to relax, "My position is the same as it's always been, on the other side of the bars," he stated flatly.

He heard it again, something definitely moved through the water on his left but again he turned to slow and missed seeing it.

"**Is it now?"**

Naruto could feel the panic building up inside him, this was bad. He could feel the sweat on his brow and his instincts were screaming at him to run, but there wasn't anywhere to run to, he was trapped in his own mind. "You're lying! You're not free! If you were you'd have already torn me to shreds by now!" he yelled at the bastard fox.

"**Who said I'm not going to**?" it growled.

Naruto leveled his gaze but truthfully he could feel his confidence waning, "You're bluffing, the seal is complete and you haven't gone anywhere."

**"Then why not call my bluff?"**

Without a word Naruto bolted forward, he was done arguing with the damn thing. There had to be an explanation for what was happening but the fox couldn't be out of his cage could he? Obviously he and Jiraiya didn't anticipate every consequence but it had to be lying and he was going to prove it.

Streaking down the corridor the sounds of his running echoed off of everything and seemed amplified with every step. The horrible feeling that something was right behind him sent shivers up his spine but he didn't look back, it was a trick and he wasn't going to let himself be manipulated.

Suddenly long the hall opened up into a large cavern and he knew he'd arrived. The mist was thick and he couldn't see it yet but on the far wall would be the massive bars and his father's seal, holding back the demon in his chest. His heart was racing so fast that he could actually hear it beating and felt like it was trying to tell him it would have been just fine staying behind for this one. Naruto swallowed hard and stepped forward into the shroud. Each step seemed to clear the mist away a tiny bit, with the Kyuubi's prison slowly coming into view ahead. "_Just a few more steps …"_

The blood in Naruto's veins turned to ice, before him the massive golden doors that held the Kyuubi at bay swung free, and the great seal was gone. Naruto turned around slowly, his brain tried shutting down and booting back up simultaneously and all rational thought vanished.

"It can't be, it's not possible. _We completed the seal!"_ he yelled again into the darkness. "How could you escape?!"

"**Pathetic little human … you've already answered your own question."**

Realization slapped Naruto across the face, "The seal … we did this?"

"**Yes Naruto, you did this …"**

* * *

Sakura looked at Naruto, he starting to sweat and looked like he was having a nightmare. "_Poor thing,"_ she thought. She reached up and pulled his covers down to cool him off a bit and decided to check his wounds. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his chest … "Oh!"

Sakura instinctively looked at the door to make sure she was alone, for some reason looking under his shirt triggered inexplicable feelings of guilt. "_What is wrong with me? I'm not doing anything unethical, I'm his physician and I'm checking his wounds,_" she told herself. Looking back down at her former teammate she couldn't help but notice the lean and chiseled muscles running from his waist up to his broad chest. Somehow his body had escaped her notice in the fury of the emergency room but here in the quiet room all alone it was suddenly the only thing she could see. "_I'm_ _Just checking …"_

She reached tenderly across his stomach and felt her fingers graze against the taught skin. "_Opps …"_ Leaning over his body she checked the first injury on his far side, gently placing her palm flat against his bare skin to steady herself. She was surprised to feel her heart skip a beat at the somehow intimate sensation of touching his bare skin. "_Keep it together girl, we're just taking a look at our patient here,_" she told herself.

She lifted up the dressing saw that the deep wound from before was now nearly healed and she leaned back but kept her hand on his stomach. Breathing deeply she ran the hand slowly up his torso to his chest, reveling in the feeling of his resting body under her fingertips. Sakura could feel the deep and steady rhythm of his breathing beneath her hand and she felt goose bumps rising along her suddenly shaky arm. "_Whoa, why is this so difficult? This isn't anything I haven't seen a hundred times before and it's no big deal,_" she told herself. But of course she knew exactly why she was trembling.

In the shinobi world an individual was considered an adult anywhere from two to four full years before the general population depending on the ninja village. In Konoha the legal age was a middle of the road fifteen, being immediately lowered by a year when Tsunade first took office. It was one of those hot button issues that generally ended in heated debate when it came up at parties. On one hand most shinobi risked their lives on a daily basis by the age of twelve, and many also carried the terrible psychological burden of having killed by a similar age as well. On the other hand try explaining that to non-shinobi parent who just couldn't fathom their little bundles of joy as being jaded killers by such a tender young age. And many in the population felt it was a conflict of interest that the Hokage set the age policy to begin with. The result was an almost ritualistic proposition to the village counsel each quarter to have the policy changed. Fortunately the counsel had always been and always would consist of mainly retired shinobi and those who understood them, thusly the proposition was quietly killed four times a year.

Being seventeen Sakura had been legal as it were for a little over two years now, but even so since apprenticing to Tsunade she hadn't had enough time to even consider the opposite sex. She'd taken in five years of medical training in only two years and endured countless combat training sessions under her master's tutelage during that time. Any free time she might have had to pursue boys with she avoided purposefully anyways, Sasuke was still out there somewhere and no one was ever going to tell her that he wasn't coming back. Boys just weren't something that Sakura Haruno thought about, until she saw someone she didn't even realize she had feelings for devouring a half naked acquaintance that was. Since then the male body, or more specifically _this_ male body had been the center of her hormonally charged thoughts awake and asleep.

It was thus that touching Naruto in even this limited fashion was sending thrills through the young Kunoichi that she could scarcely believe. With each movement she could feel her own body beginning to respond to the situation more and more, and those feelings urged her on.

Slowly she used her other hand to lift his shirt as high as she could get it so she could see the burn near his neck. "_Sure it'd be easier to pull his shirt down to check on this but since I'm already here there's no reason to do that_," she reasoned smiling to herself.

She could see the burn was looking better too, and Sakura flicked her eyes up to the door again just to make sure no one was there. She placed the second hand next to the first and ran them both up and down his torso, tracing the soft curves of his muscles with her fingertips and slowly massaging every inch of his masculine body. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest and the telltale knot in her stomach that signaled her rising arousal was being wound tighter still. Sighing deeply she pressed hard into him wishing silently that he was awake and would return the favor.

The fantasy instantly took her away and she closed her eyes imagining his strong hands moving up and down her lithe body, peeling away every last thread of her tight, restrictive clothing. She could almost feel the warm summer rain showering down on them both as they slid their bodies against one another, grinding together in animalistic lust …

Her own moan brought Sakura back to reality and she clenched her hands slightly causing the nails to scratch along his abdomen. This was _wrong_ on so many levels she couldn't even begin to count them. "_I really have a problem don't I?_" she realized. "_That's what I get for saving myself for Sasuke! I've always been able to take care of myself when the need was too great to ignore but maybe I just need to face facts here. I've been reduced to molesting unconscious men for the Hokage's sake." _Sakura looked down at herself, "_and this poor neglected thing isn't going to just lick itself!"_ She let out a loud breath and was about to pull away when she noticed the movement.

Unconscious or not she'd been molesting Naruto for several minutes now and his body finally responded, "_He's hard as a rock_!" Sakura gasped at the tent his body was pitching and threw another panicked look at the door, if anyone were to walk in right now … but no one did. She shot another glance back to his package and a flood of totally insane thoughts rammed through her head, "_No! I couldn't! It's not right, it's sick in fact! What would Tsunade think if she saw me? Oh my GOD what would my mother and father think if they saw me_? _This goes against everything being a medic is about, it's my job to heal the injured, nothing more, nothing less. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that thing, I can just tell from here that there can't be anything wrong with THAT. I mean just look at the size of it, it seems like it's very healthy to me, there's no doubt about it."_

Sakura stared.

"_Did I check him for injuries in that area? No of course not! I would never do something like that to poor Naruto-kun in a room full of people, Oh! What if I missed something? What if it leaves some horrible scar because I was remiss in my duties? What if he could never have kids because I didn't check? He'd never forgive me, Tsunade would never forgive me either, she'd probably cast me out of the village!"_

Sakura's trembling hands started to move slowly down his stomach.

"_That's it then, I really don't have a choice do I? I never had a choice, Naruto's future could depend on it, my career depends on it!"_

* * *

Something inside Naruto clicked, "Wait … _why_ am I still alive? Toying with me I could understand, but we performed that technique months ago. What's really going on here?" he screamed.

"**Still the fool …"** the booming voice mocked.

The water at Naruto's feet surged up to his knees and somehow grabbed his legs, totally immobilizing him. "Shit!" He tried to pull his legs out but the force being exerted was overwhelming.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Naruto looked in every direction for something, anything that might be useful but he knew there wouldn't be anything before he even checked. Naruto fought to push aside the fear that he could feel trying to take over and tried to assess the situation, "_OK, the Kyuubi is apparently free, and it's got me trapped inside of my own subconscious. So basically I'm screwed except, why is it still toying with me? Why not just devour me and be done with it?"_

Giving up on escaping the water Naruto stood straight up again, he peered out into the darkness looking for a clue to the foxes location. "Where are you?"

"**How could you not know? Was it not you who altered our contract? Was it not you who couldn't leave well enough alone?"**

"But it was meant to be finished! Jiraiya figured it out and we completed the seal as my father wished!" he called back to the void.

"**You think I care what your cursed father wished!"** the voice roared. Naruto covered his ears before they bleed from the overwhelming volume. With his legs trapped it made balancing difficult but he kept himself upright, somehow afraid of what would happen if he fell into the water below.

"**My only regret is that the death God feasts upon his soul, and I will never taste it for myself. But I will have my revenge, and his sacrifice will be meaningless!"**

Naruto looked down in horror as he realized the water gripping his knees was now moving higher, "Wait! What are you doing?!" he screamed.

"**What do you think I'm doing? Did you truly think a pathetic mortal such as yourself could imprison me forever?! You let me out, and now I'm going to kill you …"**

Naruto's mind raced, but how could it kill him without killing itself? If it was truly free than it would have escaped the moment they altered the seal! Something was wrong but he didn't have time to wonder about it because the water was up to his waist already. He had to say something and fast or it was going to be a wet last moment, "Wait! You can't kill me, I may not understand exactly how we altered the seal but you're still inside of me! If I die then you die!"

"_**You **__**fool**_**! Do you even know what I am?"**

Naruto blinked, he looked down and saw the water wasn't moving anymore, that was a _really_ good sign but he knew he had to keep this going long enough to figure a way out before the asshole fox made him into a marinated shinobi steak. "You're the great demon Kyuubi! The nine tailed fox whom can destroy entire mountains and create monstrous tsunami's with a single swipe of his mighty tails!" he called out as flattering as he could manage without sounding like a complete kiss ass. It felt like he failed on the kiss ass part.

"**Hmmm, Hmmm, thanks for the advertisement kid. But you didn't answer my question. **_**WHAT … AM … I?"**_

Naruto was stumped, his brain wasn't offering anything at all. Tests were never his strong suit and a pop quiz to determine his fate was always something he'd hoped to avoid. He considered trying to make something up but bullshitting an all powerful demon while he owned your ass just seemed a tad reckless. It reminded him of the time that Jiraiya-sensei instructed him on breaking genjutsu. The old man told him straight out if you can't break it your only choice is surrender. He couldn't bring himself to process it at the time, he was just too naïve to believe that there wouldn't always be an out. But looking around he was forced to admit that there was indeed no way out that he could see. Naruto's shoulders slumped, it was a calculated risk but it was his only real hope.

"I don't know …' Naruto offered.

"**I know,"** came the disembodied reply. There was no sound for a moment and Naruto started to worry that his answer wasn't sufficient.

"**I'll tell you what I am boy for it is quite simple … **_**I AM MALICE …"**_ it hissed. **"I will always exist so long as it exists. Death for me is an event, nothing more. If that's what it takes to earn my freedom then so be it, I shall return, you shall not."**

The water started to rise again and Naruto threw out the first thing that came to mind, "But even for you death has to be a pain in the ass! We can work something out!"

The water stopped.

"**You will obey my command?"**

There was no way out, the fox had him cornered, "_Jiraiya-sensei was right. I have to surrender and just see where this goes."_

"We both know that there are things I would gladly die for first, if you don't ask those things of me than … yes. What do you want?" he asked.

"**That's better …"** the voice praised him. **"My patience has indeed been strained to its limits confined in this living prison, but I am as I said immortal. And being one with a creature such as yourself affords me certain opportunities that even make imprisonment for your infinitesimal lifespan bearable. If you agree to my terms I will allow you to continue living as my vessel."**

"For how long?" Naruto asked.

"**Until you die."**

"So long as it isn't you that kills me," Naruto spat out a little quicker than he wished.

"**Picky, picky … "**

The demon didn't laugh or curse at him so Naruto took that as a sign of acceptance of his condition. "_What in the name of all that's holy am I getting myself into? Whatever this damn thing wants it can't be good but for now I simply have no choice. I'm going to have to see what he wants and figure out what I can do about it afterwards. He's obviously been planning this for some time, it's no wonder he trapped me so easily."_

"**As a demon I am denied the divine right of creation, but through you I have a loophole. I will give you one year Naruto Uzumaki, one year to produce for me an heir!"**

Naruto was shocked, killing a head of state, burning down an orphanage, blowing up a place of worship. _THAT 's_ what he was expecting, but the nine-tails wants a kid?! And _he_ was going to give it to him?!

"I'm sorry, you want what?" he asked, absolutely sure he got that last part wrong.

"**Do not taunt me boy!"** the demon roared as the water around his waist boiled and frothed.

"No, no! I just … I'm surprised that's all," he cried out waving at he didn't even know what. The shaking of the room slowed and the water calmed again. "I just don't understand, if I have a child it will be your heir?"

"_**Our**_** heir …"**

"But it will be human, won't it?"

"**Yes, it will be … human as you say. But the child will have one quarter demonic chakra, my chakra. And it won't be this bastardized chakra such as yours, it will be the child's own, and I will have my heir."**

Naruto looked out into the darkness, he wished the fox still had a body. It would somehow make this so much easier if he could look into its eyes and try to understand what the hell it was thinking. The damned fox said the kid would be human and simply have some of its chakra which didn't sound so bad but he knew better. He had a hard time believing that it was that simple, that there was no catch the fox was failing to mention. There was _always_ a catch and this was probably a nasty one, but this deal would buy him one year to find it and try to beat the fox at his own game.

"Very well, I will produce you an heir."

"**Excellent child, a very wise decision. But remember one thing, I'm in control now and to cross me is to accept your death."**

The water clutching Naruto collapsed around him and he could finally move his legs again. He looked up for lack of any other direction to look when addressing the fox, "So what did happen to your bod …"

"**Ahhhh ha ha haaaaaa!"** the thunderous voice boomed. Naruto instinctively jumped back but for all he really knew that was where the fox really was, if it was anywhere at all.

"**You disgusting worm! You're going to have to wait until you wake up before fulfilling your destiny!"** the fox's voice laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto screamed trying to be heard over the disembodied demon.

"**Look down …"**

Naruto's head jerked down and he instantly saw the source of the bastard fox's amusement … a massive hard on tenting his pants out for the demon to laugh at. "Oh _COME ON_!" he yelled trying desperately to cover himself.

* * *

Tsunade walked out of conference room A feeling a whole lot better than when she went in. She really felt that the staff and her were on the same wavelength now and she could honestly trust them to act in the best interest of the village. And several of them were gaining some invaluable experience setting and mending broken bones! Another job well done.

She smiled smugly to herself and decided that she'd better check on Naruto before she left to see if he was awake yet. The thought in fact was the one thing bringing down her high as she worried about what could be keeping the overpowered genin from waking up. And then there was Sakura, the girl was truly upset about how the staff treated Naruto earlier and couldn't understand it. That question wasn't just going to go away. "_But_," she reflected, "_Sakura is apprentice to the Hokage, she's one of the most talented medic-nin's in the village and she might be going out on missions with Naruto soon. Perhaps it's time to tell her the truth about Naruto and the Nine-tails. I suppose I'll just_ …"

"_SAKURA_!"

"_TSUNADE-SENSEI!"_

"_WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"_

"He was hurt! I had to make sure he wasn't still hurt!" Sakura screamed backing away from her prone patient.

Tsunade stormed to the opposite side of Naruto's bed and gasped at the scandalous sight of her near adopted son laid out in front of her. "Hurt?! He's half naked! You were molesting an unconscious patient!"

Sakura hit the wall behind her and couldn't go any further so she threw her hands out and shook them back and forth like she was trying to stop traffic. "No, no!"

"_YES, YES!"_

"I forgot to check his crotch in the ER!" Sakura pleaded.

"His crotch in the ER?!"

"It _could_ have left a scar!"

"… Are you on drugs?"

"… Yes?"

"Ts … Tsunade-sama? Why is everyone yelling? And … why am I naked?" Naruto asked weakly lifting his head off the white hospital pillow.

Tsunade froze solid, she was standing over Naruto with her arms stretched out in a grand '_What the Fuck'_ kind of gesture. Her eyes shot straight over to Sakura who was now crouching down against the far wall with her knees clutched to her chest. She looked back at Naruto and saw the questioning yet hazy look of a man who wasn't altogether lucid in his blue eyes and realized she didn't have much time.

"Sakura was just taking your temperature sweetie, go back to sleep," she said and with one smooth motion tapped a finger to his forehead and knocked the young man out cold.

With any luck he wouldn't remember any of this because God forbid he connected _her_ with this twisted shit when he woke up later on. "No more issues huh?" Tsunade hissed.

Sakura tried to pull herself into a tighter ball but much to her consternation couldn't get it quite small enough.

* * *

"What could have done this?" Kurenai wondered out loud surveying the charred remains of training area 11.

"It was Naruto-kun, I'd know his chakra anywhere. But whatever happened he's long gone now," Hinata responded. Her Byakugan wasn't showing him to be anywhere nearby but that burst of golden chakra she'd seen earlier was unmistakable. "I have to find him, I have to … put things right."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow at her student, "I thought you two were getting along just fine?" She actually wanted to say something else but figured she'd better not push Hinata's new limits just yet until she got a better feel for them. While she couldn't help but be impressed by the girls transformation she was worried about it on a certain level. Hinata was obviously rebelling against years of Hyuuga oppression but the girl was living in uncharted territory now and it was only going to get worse before it got better.

"_But if she can get through what she needs to do she'll be a new person, and she'll finally be able to forge her own destiny._"

Hinata released the Byakugan and turned back to Kurenai, "We had a … misunderstanding."

"Oh." Kurenai had had a few '_misunderstandings_' with members of the opposite sex in her day too, of course it was always the idiot mans fault but hopefully Hinata already knew that, she was a girl after all.

"It wasn't anything too major I hope, but it was really my fault. I just need to see him and talk to him, and I need to find out some other things …" Hinata drifted off.

"What _other_ things?" Kurenai asked. It wasn't like Hinata to keep secrets from her.

Hinata could see more shinobi arriving to take a look at the devastation, word was getting out that something unusual happened and drawing a bit of a crowd. She cast a apologetic look at her friend and sensei, "Kurenai-sensei, ask me again later OK? I don't feel comfortable talking with other people around."

"Yo!"

The two turned around to see most of Hinata's rookie class and her cousins team approaching the field, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Shino, Tenten, and Lee all waved as they walked up and surveyed the damage.

"Damn!" Ino whistled, "We heard in town that field 11 was blown up or something so we came to see for ourselves, I didn't really believe it to be honest with you but … wow."

"Hinata! Kurenai-sensei! Do you have any idea what happened here!" Lee shouted.

Kurenai shook her head, one of these days she was going to sit that kid down and explain the difference between shouting and conversation but with Guy's influence it might be a lost cause anyways. "We don't know much more than you do other than it may have had something to do with Naruto." She saw Hinata shoot her a warning glance at that but it was too late to do anything about that now. She also thought she saw a strange look pass over Ino's face but when she took a second look the girl was just showing the same mild surprise that the rest were.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "I mean I'm not surprised that Naruto would be the one responsible for this mess but who's going to clean it up? I'm glad he's back but I swear that guy is a pain sometimes …"

"Wait a minute, if Naruto did this than where is he?" Choji shot in.

"If he did _this_, then he's probably in his usual room … at the hospital," Shikamaru responded yawning.

"The Hospital!" Hinata shrieked.

Shikamaru groaned loudly realizing his mistake, "Crap, lets go …"

* * *

"You fool!" Hiashi screamed. Jun cowered down before him, this was bad, really bad. "You were specifically warned to not be discovered and the ANBU debriefed you?!"

"I'm sorry Hiashi-sama! I was forced to act or potentially watch Kakashi-sama perish! I had to act but I swear the ANBU suspect nothing, they think I was simply a passerby," he pleaded.

"That's not the point! If we choose to act later on there will now be a connection between our clan and the vessel. If anything happens to him they will now have reason to suspect _us_. You've handicapped our ability to protect the village with your idiotic heroics!"

"I'm sorry Hiashi-sama, I know I've failed you but the mission was not a total loss!"

"And how is that?" Hiashi spit.

For the first time Jun looked his master in the eyes, "Because I know how Naruto entered the village without our knowledge."

Hiashi frowned, he'd never heard Jun use the vessels name before. It was an intentional tactic they used to keep anyone from humanizing it. If the day came that striking was necessary something such as that could cause hesitation. But that wasn't nearly as important to him as the news of Jun's success, he'd just keep an eye on his subordinate for now, "And how did he do it?"

"He's completely changed his chakra signature my lord, he's not hiding from us at all we simply didn't recognize him."

Hiashi was shocked, something like that shouldn't be possible but this was the vessel and discounting anything was foolish. But still, "Interesting … We'll have to devote resources to finding out how he accomplished such a feat. Very well, get out of my sight but do not leave the compound."

Jun nodded but didn't leave, "There's something else," he added.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes in irritation, "What is it?"

"For a short time I was able to observe the vessel with my Byakugan, and he looked very … strange sir, different than anything I've ever seen before."

"What?! What did he look like?" Hiashi asked suddenly very concerned.

"It was his chakra, it was … the color of gold in my sight."

Hiashi sucked in an involuntary breath and held it, now _this_ was something to be concerned about. The Hyuuga had been watching the vessel for many years now, but never in all that time had it changed so dramatically! It was a sign he was sure, a sign that their time was quickly coming to a close.

"Leave me," he commanded absentmindedly. Jun didn't question his good fortune and vanished immediately hoping that Hiashi didn't come looking for him later remembering he forgot to punish his servant.

"_The color of gold? I've never heard of such a thing, the only other color the Byakugan is ever recorded seeing was red and that …_" Hiashi reflexively reached for his eyes but caught the useless motion and stopped. "_Kanjero and the rest of the elders must be convened."_

* * *

**Authors Notes:** I think I've reached peak mystery saturation, I've got so many loose ends to tie up in this story it's gettin crazy. So from here on out I'll try not to create any more, maybe I'll even resolve a few, that'd be cool huh? Might be a week or two till my next update, enjoy!


	14. Exposed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Summary:** Tsunade doesn't know what to do with her sexual predator apprentice, Hinata's looking for Naruto, Neji's looking for Hinata, and … oh wait, that's all that's really going on.

* * *

Chapter 14 – Exposed

* * *

It was a lot easier with the desk.

This was just one of the many thoughts drifting through Tsunade's worried mind as she sat across from her apprentice. The two sat in simple wooden chairs about three feet apart facing each other in Naruto's hospital room. After redressing the young man and fixing his bed sheets he looked as serene and undisturbed as could be, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of Tsunade's induced slumber.

On entering the room any casual observer would never give a second glance, not to the sleeping patient nor anything else in the unassuming room. If anything one might just notice that the sterile room was a little _too_ clean in fact, but even that insight would require a suspicious mind, specialized counter intelligence training, and a powerful familiarity with hospitals in general. Such was the prowess of the two motivated kunoichi when it came to eliminating all incriminating evidence … almost.

There was one piece of particularly incriminating and embarrassing evidence that _had_ eluded the frustrated women, one element to their environment beyond even their impressive ability to control or obscure. No, Tsunade mused glancing back over at him, the staying power of a seventeen year olds erection wasn't just frustrating, _it was flat out ridiculous!_

Naruto's sudden awakening had of course set off an alert at the nurse's station, and after Tsunade's epic tirade most of the staff on that level rushed the young blonds room to see how they could help him. But to their surprise they found an inexplicably blustering Hokage practically body blocking his door from the inside yelling something about '_important tests'_ and '_just a minute be right out!'_. It was this last that she really regretted as there were now about twenty five people standing outside _exactly_ like she told them they better be the next time Naruto-kun needed a damn thing. And it was because of them that she and Sakura were now locked in a small hospital room with a blissfully sedated Naruto displaying yet another element of his legendary stamina that they both wished would just get a little tired.

Looking sternly at Sakura from her simple wooden chair Tsunade couldn't figure out exactly what to do with her hands and was having an awfully difficult time thinking of anything _Hokage-ish_ to say … It was just a lot easier with the desk and her office.

Sakura was the first to speak, "Tsunade-sensei? Don't you know _any_ jutsu that might help take care of … _that_?" she said pointing in the general direction of Naruto.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Yes Sakura I do, I've just been holding back because of how much _fun_ I'm having hiding in here like idiot teenager. In fact that's what I was really doing all those years away from the village, working on my secret erection suppression jutsu in the hopes that someday I might be able to come back and use it to keep Jiraiya away from the women's baths."

Sakura snorted despite herself but immediately pulled it back and shot a glance over at Tsunade. The grouchy sannin glared daggers back at her but found herself drawn to the tiny curve at the end of Sakura's lips. "_Oh no, don't laugh, this is not funny!"_

Sakura fought valiantly to suppress her laugh but holding her face still was taking every ounce of self control she had. But she knew if she cracked that her master was likely to … wait! Was Tsunade smiling?

Tsunade could see the veins starting to bulge on Sakura's head and the subtle distortions of her face changing its shape against the young girls will. She fought even harder against the sensation creeping over her body but it was moving up to her face now and she knew it might already be too late.

* * *

"Whoa! Look at this crowd, do you think everything's OK?" Kurenai asked. Entering the hospital the group of shinobi could hardly find a staffer but scouting the hallways solved that problem. It seemed most of the staff was waiting in a rather cramped hallway outside of a closed door. The group stood at the other end of the hall and just stared trying to decipher the meaning of the mysterious gathering.

"I knew it, what a bother," Shikamaru sighted.

Ino frowned at her teammate, "Don't be such a stick in the mud, this is bound to be interesting even if it is just _Naruto_."

Shikamaru picked up on his teammates irritated tone, "What's the matter Ino? You have something against poor Naruto?"

Ino rolled her eyes, "Nothing he didn't hold against me."

Shino cut off Shikamaru's next question by doing something that surprised them all, he spoke. "They're not even doing anything, they're just standing there … waiting. Hinata why don't you use your Byakugan to see what's going on inside that room."

"Shino! The Byakugan is the birth right of the royal clan of Hyuuga, it's purpose is to maintain the clan, protect our village, and destroy our enemies. It's _not_ for peeping into locked rooms!" Hinata scolded without turning around.

Shino waited the perfect amount of time to maximize his words dramatic effect, "Your sarcasm is getting much better."

She spun around to face her accuser, "Do you really think so?" she squealed. "Thanks Shino! Byakugan!"

Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji watched the exchange with thinly veiled interest. They'd all noticed Hinata's sexy new attire but she was acting a lot different too, kind of like Ino in fact. Shikamaru made a mental note to make sure he was never put on a mission with both of them at the same time. Ino made a mental note to ask her where she was shopping these days.

"Well?" Shino asked.

Hinata stared at the wall and beyond with a puzzled look, "Well it looks like Tsunade-sama and Sakura are discussing something and Naruto is just … Oh my!" she breathed out smiling.

"What is it?" Kurenai asked suddenly concerned. There were a pretty limited number of reasons to have the villages top two medic-nin locked in a room with a patient while half the hospital staff stood outside. "Is he OK? What are they doing? Are they working on him?"

Hinata's face suddenly twisted at the thought, "They _better not!_" Leaving her Byakugan on she stormed towards the small crowd protecting the door.

* * *

Tsunade was on the floor and in tears. Sakura struggled to keep herself on her chair by throwing one arm over the back and hanging. Both women totally overcome with laughter they struggled to catch their breath.

Sakura blinked hard to clear her vision, "Tsunade-s … sama, do you think you could teach me that jutsu? I think Naruto over there is going to be a hard case!"

Tsunade tried to wave Sakura off but it was too late, she opened her mouth to laugh but no sound came out at all and she had to settle for intermittently gasping for air.

It was just then that the first sounds of a scuffle floated in from the hallway. Both women dabbed at their tears and tried to focus attention to the adjoining corridor. Whatever was going on was escalating and the voices where getting louder too, muffled shouting and the sound of a chair hitting a wall brought the two out of their giggle fit.

Sakura started to get worried. "Tsunade-sensei what are you going to do? Naruto's, eh, issue hasn't gone down any if we open the door everyone's gonna think…"

"I know!" Tsunade replied. "I'm not too keen on being seen in here with Naruto's issue either but I'm the Hokage and if somebody's out there causing trouble I have to go kick the crap out of them."

Suddenly the sounds halted and they both instantly focused on the door, a strong presence of chakra emanated from behind it. "Oh I don't fucking think so," Tsunade muttered and strode over to the door. Anyone stupid enough to try and intimidate the Hokage was just begging to get admitted.

_Knock, knock_, came the soft sound.

Tsunade paused in front of the simple door and contemplated her next move. Naruto still looked like a damn circus tent and she really didn't want to fling the door open risk anyone wondering what the Hokage was doing in a locked room with a patient sporting that. They'd be talking behind her back for years.

"Who is it?" she demanded in her best annoyed voice.

"Hinata Hyuuga," came the sweet reply.

Tsunade turned to look at Sakura with wide eyes, "Shit! The Hyuuga girl." she whispered.

Sakura realized the problem instantly, "_The Byakugan! "_

Tsunade straightened her shoulders and spoke as softly as she could with _sounding_ like she trying to speak softly, "Hinata, Sakura and I were having a private discussion and we'll be out in minute."

"Yeah I saw that."

"Shit."

Tsunade unlocked and cracked open the door, "Actually I needed to talk to you too, would you mind coming in?" she asked. The sannin glanced over Hinata's head and saw to her amazement that the hall was cleared of staff, but there was now a sizable group of what looked like most of the girls academy class standing there staring at them. "Just give us a minute," she answered their questioning looks letting Hinata slip into the room.

Hinata and Sakura shot each other a look as soon as she entered the room, but neither was willing to take it any farther than that for the moment.

Tsunade closed the door and turned around, "OK, I know what this looks like but it's most definitely not what it looks like and now you're a part of it too so you better not say _anything_, got it?"

Hinata stared at Naruto's sleeping form and turned a deep red before the Hokage's words registered with her brain. "What? Oh no! I didn't have anything to do with _that_!" she said pointing at Naruto's exposure.

"It's too late!" Sakura retorted. "You're in here now and if anybody else comes in here and sees _that_ then they'll think we _did something_ to him," She said.

Something seemed odd to Hinata, "I know it's a little … uh … unusual, but why so paranoid? _Did_ something happen?" she asked.

"Sakura!" Tsunade blurted out pointing.

"Tsunade-sensei…" Sakura whined, but cut off when she realized that Hinata was now only inches from her face.

"What does she mean … _Sakura_?" Hinata growled menacingly.

"It's none of your damn business Hyuuga, but at least I don't go whoring around the forest," Sakura growled right back.

Tsunade saw the encore fight coming and cut it off before it could get started. "Knock it off both of you or I'll beat you within an inch of your lives! "

Hinata and Sakura stared each other down without batting so much as an eyelash. But whatever questions Hinata still had about their fight in Tsunade's office were now answered. She knew exactly what set off the pink haired girl off that night and what she was going to have to do about it.

A thin smile stretched across Hinata's lips, "I hope you got a good look, because that isn't going to be the last time he does that to me…" she whispered.

Sakura's eyes narrowed into two angry slits, _"_Game on little girl…"

Tsunade watched the exchange silently, so long as they didn't fight right now was she cared about short term. Long term, this fight looked inevitable. The two just declared war on each other over Konoha's most eligible young shinobi bachelor. She smiled inwardly, "_As long as they don't kill each other this might be the most entertaining generation since mine._"

Her message sent Hinata backed away from Sakura and walked over to Naruto's bed and considered his surprisingly persistent arousal. "So if we're hiding in here because we're embarrassed about being caught with _that_, then what are we going to do about it?"

The other two girls walked over next to her and looked down. "I wish I knew, I mean I really thought it would go down by now," Tsunade confessed.

* * *

Neji stared.

Neji blinked.

Neji stared again.

Couldn't be. Nope. He could not possibly be looking at what he was looking at. In-Fuck-Ing-Possible. But the Byakugan didn't lie, and there was his cousin, and the Hokage's apprentice, and the Hokage herself, and they were all standing over an apparently unconscious Naruto, and they were just looking at him. Looking at _THAT_.

Kurenai's patience was just about used up, "Neji! What do you see?" she demanded.

"It's … difficult to explain," he responded automatically.

"Oh come on saucer eyes! What the use are you x-ray freaks if none of you will tell anyone what you're looking at!" Ino vented.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, if Neji didn't respond to that kind insult against his heritage then he must be in la-la land. As much trouble as this was most definitely turning out to be, it was also promising to be one of the more interesting afternoons this month.

Shaking the sheer weirdness of the scene in the next room out of his mind Neji focused in on Naruto but heeded Hinata's words and didn't try to over do it. "_Gold, Hinata was right. A solid stream of gold chakra is running through his system but otherwise it's relatively normal. Of course asleep there shouldn't even be chakra flowing through him to begin with but that's not totally unheard. Of course if I'm right … than I already know why his chakra always flows._"

"That's it, I'm knocking on the door. If they can let Hinata in then they can let me in!" Kurenai muttered walking over to the door.

"Wait!" Neji called out reflexively. The beautiful Kunoichi stopped and looked at him expecting more. "Uh … they're all, uh, working on Naruto. It really looks like they don't need any help, I think," he stammered.

"Then why did they let Hinata in?" she asked.

And suddenly he knew, "Because they had too…"

* * *

Tsunade shook her head, "There's really only two ways I know of to get rid of these…"

"Tsunade!" the girls accused in unison.

"Not that you perverts! The _other_ option, what the hell's wrong with you? I'm old enough to be his gra … mother!"

Both the girls tried not to look disappointed before shooting the other another nasty look. But Sakura's anger vanished when she realized she was missing something, "What is the other option?"

"Pain."

"Pain?" they asked.

"Pain. Maybe something like a pinch or a little needle stick might work."

Hinata made a face at that, she didn't like the idea of stabbing poor Naruto for something that really wasn't his fault. "A needle? That's so mean! Plus won't he wake up? Wait a minute, why isn't he waking up?"

"I used a chakra pulse to put him out," Tsunade responded.

Something was very wrong with that statement Hinata realized. Now the locked door was beginning to make sense, they were up to something! "And why did you need to do that?" she asked innocently.

"We're getting off subject, Sakura get me a needle," Tsunade commanded neatly sidestepping Hinata's question.

"Way ahead of you," Sakura replied producing a massive stainless steel spear from seemingly thin air.

Hinata's eyes went wide at the sight of the massive instrument. "Holy shit! Does it have to be so big?"

Tsunade wondered a bit about that too, she hadn't seen a monstrous needle like that in years. It looked like it belonged in a museum or a stable. But questioning the source of the sadistic device would have to wait, they needed to hurry up.

"Quit complaining Hinata, for our purposes the bigger the better."

"But it looks like it'll really hurt!"

"Well of course it's gonna hurt look at the size of this thing! Man I never thought I'd see another one this big again."

"Oh God I think I'm going to be sick…"

"Ah! You're as bad as Sakura. You should've seen her first time, her partner barely got it in and she squealed like a pig and passed right out. Poor guy had to practice the rest of the day by himself."

"Tsunade-sensei! I did not!"

"Hinata get back up here, I don't tolerate squeamish kunoichi."

"OK but promise me you're not going to stick it _all_ the way in…"

"Of course not are you sick or something! You go sticking something this big all the way in and you're risking permanent damage. No, the tip should be more than enough for this bad boy."

"I can come back later," Jiraiya chimed in.

All three girls screamed and Jiraiya nearly fell back out of the window. "Jiraiya!" Tsunade yelled and hurled the needle in her hand straight at this head.

Jiraiya just barely managed a tuck and roll and dove inside the room and underneath the deadly medical instrument. He landed behind the two wooden chairs and decided it would be best to just stay low, judging by the looks of that needle there might be an iron-maiden in the closet. Besides if he actually escaped he'd never hear Tsunade's excuse for what the hell those three were doing to Naruto. He almost wished he was one hurt! "Damn it Tsunade, you almost killed me!" he yelled peaking over the furniture.

"I'm about to you peeping tom! Can't you see the door's locked?!" she screamed.

"How would I know that? I came in the window."

"Exactly! You don't enter rooms through windows for a reason, that's why there's a door!"

"Now why would I want to use the door? You already said it was locked."

"Uggghhhh! You're impossible!" Tsunade fumed.

"To resist!" Jiraiya shot back on queue. "But seriously, I just heard about the accident and I wanted to see how he's doing like everybody else."

Tsunade followed his eyes and spun to her right, "Whad-ya mean… OH!" she squealed seeing every shinobi from the hall halfway in the room. She shot a quick glance over to Naruto's bed and saw Hinata and Sakura sitting on the edge of his bed side by side, blocking the newcomers from the sight of Naruto's issue. The two drew more than one odd glance from the bunch sitting there with blank smiles on their faces.

"What the hell do you bunch think you're doing? That door was locked, you all think that just because you're a bunch of ninja you can go strolling around wherever whenever you please?" Tsunade asked loudly.

"No Hokage-sama of course not! We just heard the commotion and got worried about Naruto, that's all…" Kurenai trailed away looking at the floor to avoid her gaze.

"Kurenai I'm the Hokage, just how much danger do you think he's in with me in here?" she demanded.

"Yea Kurenai! Naruto's in the best hands possible, these three will have him _up_ in no time!" Jiraiya beamed grinning from ear to ear. He noted three subtle yet distinct reactions to his words and did everything he could to keep from laughing.

"Thank you Jiraiya …" Tsunade grinned. "Now could I please have everyone leave the room so poor Naruto can get some rest?"

Totally ignoring her request Shino stepped forward, "Why is there a veterinary needle sticking out of the window frame?" Everyone in the room turned to look at the massive needle and plunger bouncing lazily in the cool night air, the needle itself embedded impressively deep into the wood.

"Because Jiraiya's an idiot that's why," she said. "Now I need you all to leave and let Naruto get some rest."

"Wow!" Lee exclaimed. "Who's magnificent cloak is this?!" he asked holding up Naruto's cloak.

"Lee put that down!" Tsunade ordered.

"That's a fire cloak, it was a personal favorite of the 4th Hokage until he passed, since then no one wears them," Shikamaru explained.

"Then why is that jerk wearing one?" Ino asked.

"Ino!" Tsunade and Kurenai said in unison.

"What?" she asked confused. "Why are you guys so defensive all the sudden? He just said…"

"We'll talk about it later," Tsunade said.

"Naruto was wearing that?" Shino asked. "Knowing him he has no idea."

Tsunade was getting irritated, did _anyone_ know how to take a hint? Or an order for that matter? "Like I said later would be a good time to talk about it," she said gesturing towards the door.

"Can I tell them Tsunade-sama?" Kurenai asked.

"Yes, yes, that's fine Kurenai. Just do it outside would you?"

"THERE IS NO NEED!" Lee screamed. "Naruto-kun is a man of honor and would never disgrace the Hokages knowingly! Therefore he must not be aware!"

"LEE! What did I tell you about your inside voice?" Tsunade growled at the hyperactive chuunin.

"To use it when I'm … inside?" he squeaked.

"You know if you just tell them they might leave," Jiraiya offered.

"Tell us what?" Neji asked suspiciously.

"Kurenai will tell them _outside_!" Tsunade said loudly.

As interesting as the source of the new cloths were starting to sound something else caught Ino's eye, "Why are you two sitting there like a couple of idiots?" she asked Hinata and Sakura. "I thought you weren't … on the best of terms?"

Most of the eyes in room rotated toward Naruto's bed and the two now oddly out of place kunoichi. Sakura broke out into a huge smile, "What are you talking about Ino? Hinata and I get along just fine!"

"You do?" Kurenai asked.

"Oh my God, none of you are going to leave are you?" Tsunade asked. Jiraiya giggled. She threw her arms out in a grand gesture, "Ok listen up! I'm going to tell all of you what's going on with Naruto and then you're all going to leave or I'll hurt you. Understand?"

Everyone in the room finally stopped talking and directed their attention to Tsunade. She glanced over at Naruto's bed and couldn't tell if his issue was still an issue anymore but if the girls stayed put it wouldn't matter, she just had to clear the damn room.

"Now, as Shikamaru pointed out the cloak over there is a traditional shinobi fire cloak. No one has worn one since the loss of the 4th Hokage. Naruto has in fact been wearing one and with a very good reason. You have to understand that since his birth he needed to be protected, hidden if you will because of who he is. Until his trip with Jiraiya even Naruto didn't know who he really was, but now that he knows he's decided to change his name."

There was a collective gasp from the group. "He's not Naruto anymore?" Lee asked.

"Shhhh!" Kurenai hissed. "Just listen."

Tsunade tried not to roll her eyes and continued, "He's not an Uzumaki anymore Lee. That was his mother's name and it was given to him to protect him from his father's enemies. But he's old enough now to know and reveal his identity. That's what he learned when he was away and that's why he's been wearing the cloak. From now on you can call him Naruto … Namikaze."

"Psssh, I knew it," Shikamaru sighed. "Now he's going to be even more annoying."

"Know what?! Who are the Namikazes?" Ino exploded.

"Minato Namikaze…" Hinata whispered. Wasn't that?

Kurenai looked around the room amazed, "Oh come on! _Minato Namikaze_ doesn't ring a bell? Didn't Iruka teach you anything? _**Minato Namikaze was the 4**__**th**__** Hokage**_!"

* * *

"So you see!" Hiashi bellowed. "We must act, we must destroy it before it's too late!" He stared into the elder Hyuuga's faces, he was sure he had them but it was impossible to know for sure. Hyuuga of their age betrayed absolutely nothing with their faces, living their entire lives surrounded by other Hyuuga had that effect. Consequently the natural tendency of all Hyuuga to constantly analyze and pick apart the person sitting next to them was long held as the reason other shinobi hated spending too much time their presence. But oddly enough most Konoha shinobi never considered that most Hyuuga _also_ felt that way about every other Hyuuga. It was difficult to perfect the craft when everyone else was just as annoying as you were. It was thus that most Hyuuga of an adult age were experts at hiding their thoughts, indeed the Hyuuga had developed the ultimate poker face. Again, very annoying Hiashi mused.

"I agree with Hiashi, the vessel appears to be failing," one of the old men stated.

"The vessel cannot be allowed to fail yet, if it cannot be stopped we face our own demise," another replied.

"Fail yet? We've still not found the heir after all these years, who is to say we ever will? We must face reality and consider that the vessel may have to be destroyed regardless. The longer we wait the greater the risk."

Kanjero sighed loudly, it was just as he thought. "You read too much into your second hand observations Hiashi, the truth is you know nothing about the condition of the vessel and you're letting your fear of the unknown cloud your judgment, you _all_ are."

Hiashi flinched at the barb but he dared not respond, not here. But he could see from the looks of the council members that he might not have to.

"How dare you speak to us in such a tone Kanjero! We are all equals here. You cannot ignore these events as you have ignored so many others. Your former station doesn't give you insight above the other members of this counsel."

"I earned my station _precisely because_ I have insight beyond you Isao-sama, try not to forget that. I will not consent to betraying the 4th Hokage without just cause, we don't know the status of the vessel other than its nature has changed since spending three years with the legendary Sannin Jiraiya, hardly surprising considering the man actually taught the 4th Hokage sealing techniques to begin with."

The other elders were furious and Kanjero simply waited for what he knew was coming. "And that is the problem Kanjero, we know nothing else and have no way to learn more. In light of better information we must assume the worst and protect Konoha!"

He smiled, one day they would beat him at this game but not today, "But we will know more, at this very moment our best spy is gathering for us all we could want to know about the vessel."

"What spy are you speaking of?"

"Why Hiashi's very own daughter of course, my granddaughter, Hinata…"

* * *

"So then what happened?" Kakashi asked with baited breath.

Jiraiya tried to suppress another giggle, "So the whole room breaks out into sheer pandemonium and then the girl with the great rack … um"

"Hinata."

"So then Hinata falls off of the bed dragging Sakura and Naruto's blanket with her."

"And Naruto was still…?"

"Holy shit was he ever! And it was the funniest thing I've ever seen, I'm definitely working it into my next novel." Jiraiya smiled.

"That must have been when I heard the scream."

"Yup, Tsunade screamed Sakura's name at the top of her lungs and the poor girl panicked so bad she actually jumped out of the damn window! All the guys in the room took one look and went straight for the door trying to pretend they didn't see anything except for that Lee kid, he just seemed confused so I grabbed him on my way out with the other boys. I figured Tsunade was getting a little too dangerous at that point for anyone to hang around. I tell you what though, that kid's _weird_."

Kakashi grinned from ear to ear behind his mask, why did he always seem to miss the best stories? "He is a lot like Guy isn't he? You remember that story I told you about what he did at the men's baths in Nagoya? There's a couple of guys that still refuse to go on missions with him."

Jiraiya's eyebrow raised, "You think they're … you know?"

"I don't think so, just really weird."

"If you say so Kakashi, if you say so."

"So do you think the incident will help Naruto's reputation with the ladies or hurt it?"

Jiraiya put his hand on his chin and gave the question some serious consideration. "Hmmm, I think it will help by the way Kurenai and that Ino girl lingered for just an extra moment. And now that I think about it Boobs, I mean Hinata, was the only one who acted like an adult in the whole room. I saw her stand up and throw Naruto's blanket back over him trying to cover him up just as I got to the door. Her and Tsunade were the last ones out."

"That girl's been in love with Naruto since they were kids."

"Really? She's a real looker, does Naruto know?"

"I didn't think so until I talked to Kurenai yesterday."

"So he _does_ know?" Jiraiya asked.

"Oh he knows alright, intimately." Kakashi replied.

Jiraiya giggled again, his little student was growing up all right! Despite his best efforts he could never get the brat to show any interest in anything he considered interesting, not his novels, not peeking in on the women's baths, not even picking up on the droves of hot women that inevitably converged on them in every town once word got out that a couple of mysterious foreign shinobi were wandering around.

Kakashi gave his friend another glance, "You really need to warn him about kunoichi Jiraiya-sama, I'm counting three of them now and one's a miniature Tsunade. He's going to get hurt and I don't mean his feelings."

"Not on your life! That kid's a gold mine of material for my books! Do you have any idea how much money this could make me?"

Kakashi's eye curved, "Really? If it's that profitable maybe I should start extorting you for a percentage or tell Naruto."

"You wouldn't dare."

Naruto hit the couch like he hadn't seen one in days, which was about the case in fact. Since spending his first night in his new home he'd only been here long enough to change after leaving Ino's apartment on his way to see baa-chan. He woke alone in the hospital about an hour ago and snuck out before somebody came in and told him he needed to stay for another few days for 'observation'. Oh no, he'd fallen for that one before. Besides, it was too hard to think sitting in a hospital room and he had a lot of thinking to do. Aside from his personal life going from zero to MACH 17 in just over three days it seemed his Kyuubi-free existence was over as well.

"_Somehow after completing the seal the damn fox seems stronger than ever and he's free? No that can't be, there has to be another explanation but what? For that matter where has he been all this time? I haven't heard anything from him since the procedure and now it's like he's in control, at least in my mindscape anyway. But still why not just devour me? It's hard to believe he'd be willing to remain a prisoner for any price, that bastard's hiding something._" Not finding any immediate answers Naruto decided to gave up for the time being. It was his experience that giving your mind a break was often the quickest route to a solution. But it most definitely sucked he concluded.

Sitting there his gaze fell on the portrait of his parents. "I sure wish you two were here to help me out with all this weird stuff, or at least left me a manual!" Naruto went rigid, "_The vault!_" He bolted into the office and rounded the corner to face the solid steel door. Tsunade's works echoed through his mind, "_If there's no handle like you say then it's probably a chakra lock, the door should open for any family member that forces some chakra into the door itself_."

He hesitated for a moment but then reached out and placed his palm flat against the cold steel surface. Slowly, he started to mold some chakra and pushed it into the metal.

Nothing.

Naruto frowned a bit and decided to up the power, he slowly increased the amount of chakra until he suddenly heard a loud clank echo from inside the door. The sound was so abrupt that he jumped back and stared in surprise. But the door just sat there. Casting a suspicious glance Naruto moved back to the door and resumed his attempt at opening it. The results were the same until he forced even more chakra into the door, resulting a in satisfying second clank. The door shifted slightly and Naruto's heart skipped a beat, it was opening!

He stood back and watched the massive door swing open, a set of dim fluorescent lights clicked on and flickered pathetically with age, casting an eerie pal over the smallish space. Vault was right, entering the room it was mostly empty racks of scrolls and stacks of paper. There was another smaller safe near the back but it was open and emptied out. A quick spot check revealed nothing else of interest. Naruto sighed in disappointment, Tsunade warned him that the vault would have been cleaned out but _still_, he was hoping for something a tad more than this.

Turning his attention to the smattering of remaining scrolls Naruto grabbed one and started to open it when he was overcome with a unexpected sense of dread. He froze up immediately and stared at the innocuous looking scroll in his hands, for some reason he couldn't explain his mind was screaming at him not to open the scroll, to put it down and get as far away from it as possible. He put the scroll down and felt the intense fear quickly recede. "_That was weird. As soon as I put the scroll down I felt better, but why did it set me off like that to begin with? I could almost hear the warning when I started to open it up._" He pondered the scroll for another minute and decided to test it.

Keeping his arm stretched out Naruto picked up the scroll and walked it into the next room setting it down on the kitchen counter. Other than a general uneasiness that probably sprang from the fact that the stupid thing had already freaked him out, nothing. Naruto sat there for another five minutes before picking the scroll up this time with the intention of reading it. He could already feel his anxiety levels rise but it wasn't like the first time, he started peeling open the paper … _DEATH_.

"Whoa!" Naruto dropped the scroll back on the counter, there it was again! "Ok what the hell?" he demanded. The scroll remained silent. He got close and eyed the mysterious object but didn't touch it, "What the hell are you?"

* * *

Hinata watched him silently, despite what she joked at the hospital it _really was_ considered incredibly rude to use one's Byakugan to peer inside another's room or dwelling. But this was a special case she convinced herself, more of a mission than a personal visit. But try as she might to convince herself that this was just business she knew that she would just sit here and watch him all day if she could. She just couldn't shake off a lifetime of adoration, even if it was a mission.

And therein lie the crux of her problem. She'd had plenty of time to think now and she definitely wanted to be with him again but there was still the issue of the freakish chakra eye that nearly blinded her a few days before. Her continual analysis of that encounter had her convinced that he wouldn't be dangerous to her in a normal situation and that there was really nothing to fear. But still the prospect of losing her sight was downright horrifying.

"_You risk your life on every mission you go on Hinata, this is no different. Better blind than dead and even so, it's for Naruto-kun! You'd risk anything to save him wouldn't you?_" Hinata shook her head up and down answering herself. This was ridiculous, there really wasn't any decision to make at all. And she still needed to make that Haruno bitch eat her words and then some. Her decision made she took a step forward only to feel a hand clasp around her arm.

"Hinata wait! You can't go in there!"

"Neji! What the hell are you doing here?" Hinata spat out while her cousin dragged her behind a tree in the neighboring yard.

Neji gave her a stern look, "You can't go in there Hinata, not with him."

Hinata pushed him away and puffed out her chest, "And why the hell not?"

"It's something I came across in the branch archives this morning, it's not proof but it explains everything Hinata, I think I know what we've both seen in Naruto."

Hinata looked at Neji like he was from outer space, "If you found it this morning why didn't you say anything earlier at the hospital? He was right there and unconscious, we could have investigated anything you found!"

For the first time in her memory Neji blushed, "That was kind of a weird moment Hinata, I kind of forgot…"

Hinata slapped her hand against her forehead, Neji was right about one thing. This was one of the weirdest days in her entire life. "Well you're here now so what did you find?"

Neji looked into her eyes, of all his family Hinata was the one he would lay his life down for. It wasn't something he confused with duty. Sometimes on a mission things went badly and people died, and if his death would save his comrades then so be it. But Hinata was different, she was one of two people he would gladly die for at any moment, for any reason. Neji knew she didn't stand up to him to save _him_ during those cursed chuunin exams three years ago, it was to save herself. But still she risked her life and very nearly died, and she never held it against him, she understood. That example was part of what saved him from the dark, self-destructive path he was walking back then and he loved her for it.

It made this difficult. "Hinata I …"

"Neji just spit it out, I'm a big girl."

"When I was looking through the branch family archives I was looking for any mention of the Byakugan being attacked or disabled, but the more I searched the more I realized that such information would never be kept in that archive, it would probably even be guarded in the main house archives. That's when it occurred to me that what I needed to look for was what wasn't there."

Hinata tried to absorb his logic but no matter how she looked at it there was the same simple flaw, "But Neji, how can you search for nothing? You can look for nearly anything and not find it if you look in the wrong place."

Neji grinned slightly, "I know, but this sort of just … jumped out at me. You see what I found is that there is no record in the library for October of seventeen years ago. That's the time of the attack Hinata, the attack of the Kyuubi on Konohagakure."

Hinata jerked back, "The Kyuubi! But what does that have to do with … HIS FATHER!"

Neji quickly hushed her and glanced up at Naruto's house to see if they'd been spotted. "I know! And I didn't even know that until later but it practically confirms what I've been thinking!"

"What are you thinking? Naruto's father destroyed the Kyuubi demon, they taught us all about it in school. What could this have to do with him?"

"I don't know exactly but it proves the connection! Look, the archives are barren to hide what happened that night from us because something happened that the elders don't want us to know about! They don't want us to know what happened when they faced the Kyuubi demon. Your Byakugan failed when you got too close to Naruto! And now we know the man who destroyed the demon is his father! Don't you see it?"

Hinata shook her head back and forth, there were too many connections to ignore. She wanted to tell Neji he was full of shit and slap him upside the head but she couldn't, he was dead on. She returned her cousins gaze and voiced what they were both thinking, "The Kyuubi no Kitsune is alive."

Neji didn't blink, "Yes."

"And it's tied to Naruto."

"Yes."

"Are you sure? This could all be some stupid mistake…"

"Hinata, everything we've ever seen him do, everything about him that's defied explanation, it all fits. Naruto. The Kyuubi. The 4th Hokage. They're all tied together, that's what I saw during the chuunin exams, that's what attacked your eyes."

The hairs on Hinata's arms stood on end, not 40 feet away in Naruto's kitchen sat the most fearsome creature known to man. She turned her gaze back to Naruto's house and watched him sitting, still staring at that same scroll. The ever present golden chakra flowed throughout his body, it looked stronger than she remembered. Was he was changing?

"_My eyes are starting to hurt again_," she realized. "_I don't think they're healed yet._" Hinata released her Byakugan and turned back to Neji. "I have to go to him Neji, I have to help him if I can."

Neji pushed her back against the tree, "No Hinata! You can't go near him! Didn't you hear anything I said?"

"Of course I did, and that's exactly why I have to go!" she said pushing back.

"Hinata the Kyuubi isn't just a demon, it's a poison!" Hinata's eyes went wide with understanding.

"A poison just for us…"

* * *

**Authors Notes:** Sorry about the very long time in between updates, I've had writers block! I was really hoping to move the plot farther along than I did in this chapter but once I wrote it I couldn't bring myself to remove the hard-on scene, juvenile I know :) But the good news is I think the writer's block is gone so you can expect updates and the plot to start flowing again!

And Hinata fans don't hate me, it ain't over till the robust lady sings!


	15. The Kyuubi's new Trick

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto.

**Summary**: Hinata's back, Naruto's on his way, and the Kyuubi's influence takes on a new form…

**Notes:** Again I'm guilty of over doing it a bit, **Doh**! So I slightly altered the last few paragraphs of the last chapter and included the changes here, enjoy!

Last time on _Naruto's Inheritance…_

Hinata shook her head back and forth, there were too many connections to ignore. She wanted to tell Neji he was full of shit and slap him upside the head but she couldn't, he was dead on. She returned her cousins gaze and voiced what they were both thinking, "The Kyuubi no Kitsune is alive."

Neji didn't blink, "Yes."

"And it's tied to Naruto," she continued.

Neji nodded in agreement, "Hinata, everything we've ever seen him do, everything about him that's defied explanation, it all fits. Naruto. The Kyuubi. The 4th Hokage. They're all tied together, that's what I saw during the chuunin exams, that's what attacked your eyes."

The hairs on Hinata's arms stood on end, not 40 feet away in Naruto's kitchen sat the most fearsome creature known to man. She turned her gaze back to Naruto's house and watched him sitting, staring at a scroll. The ever present golden chakra flowed throughout his body, it looked stronger than she remembered. Was he was changing?

"M_y eyes are starting to hurt again,_" she realized. "_I don't think they're healed yet._" Hinata released her Byakugan and turned back to Neji. "I have to go to him Neji, I have to help him if I can."

Neji pushed her back against the tree, "No Hinata! You can't go near him! Didn't you hear anything I said?"

"Of course I did, and that's exactly why I have to go!" she said pushing back against him.

"Hinata the Kyuubi isn't just a demon, it's a poison!" Hinata's eyes went wide with realization.

"A poison just for us…"

* * *

Chapter 15 – The Kyuubi's new trick

* * *

Hinata glared daggers at her cousin, "We don't know that Neji."

"Yes we do Hinata."

"We've both been around him our entire lives! Why aren't we blind already?"

Neji frowned, he'd thought of exactly the same thing but still, "I don't know I don't have all the answers yet, maybe he's changing somehow but it doesn't matter. We're staying away from him for now."

In the blink of an eye the flat of her hand to knocked Neji's left arm up and away from her body, a look of surprise registered on his face and his body rocked forward a few inches out of balance. He tried to throw a leg out in front of himself to halt the movement but before he could she twisted his other arm and forced his body around in a tight circle slamming his back square against the tree.

With a last flicker of motion she'd shifted her grasp of his arms to simple hold of his shoulders and pushed hard effectively pinning the shocked jounin and perfectly reversing their positions. Hinata's eyes blazed with defiance and she stared her cousin down, "I didn't come back to him just to run away from some bastard furball!"

Neji looked at her with a sense of sheer wonderment, who was this woman and what happened to Hinata?! "_She's willing to risk so much for him! But why did I expect any less? He's a friend and a comrade and she's a true shinobi after all. This is what we do, who we are._"

"Hinata, just tell me one thing…"

"What is it?"

"Did your eyes bother you at all just now when you observed him?"

"No." she lied.

Neji took a deep breath and cracked a smile, "Ok Hinata, lets go see Naruto."

Hinata broke into a huge grin and threw her arms around him, "Thank you Neji!"

He turned a deep shade of red and pushed her away as gentlemanly as possible, this new outfit of his cousin's was too damn skimpy! "Hinata please! There's no need to thank me … just get moving."

* * *

Naruto was so engrossed in the freakish scroll that he didn't even sense the two chakra's standing on his front porch. _Knock, Knock._ Giving the scroll one last dirty look he left it there and went to the door.

"Hinata! Neji,"

"Hi Naruto-kun, how are you?" she asked smiling.

"Great I just, I uh … didn't expect to see you here," he stumbled. That of course was the truth, he hadn't really talked to her since she ran away screaming from him two days ago. He registered Neji's presence but practically forgot as his attention was torn to the new outfit she was wearing made up mostly of the same gear she wore for their training session turned make out paradise turned total disaster.

Naruto's jaw almost hit the porch, "Wow Hinata you look … _great_." Neji frowned.

Hinata blushed a bit but kept her outward self in check, inside she could feel herself doing summersaults being this close to him again without a trace of the nervousness and fear she'd felt only a moment ago. "So, are you going to invite us in or just stare all day?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to blush, "Oh! Yes please come in! Sorry about that I'm still a little bit woozy from that stay in the hospital I guess." He stood to the side and invited them in, as Hinata walked past he locked onto her and leered until she was well into the living room. Suddenly Naruto was aware of something else, something very, very close. He turned his head back to the door jerked back a bit when he found Neji's face about three inches from his.

"It's a nice outfit isn't?" Neji asked in his trademark monotone.

Naruto turned even more red and threw on his biggest grin, "Uh ya it sure is isn't it? Ha ha … oh boy. Care for a water?"

Neji gave just the slightest hint of a grin, "No thanks."

Naruto watched Neji turn around and walk into the house. "Hinata feel free to help yourself, you know where everything is…" Neji shot back around and gave Naruto the stare of death.

"Thanks Naruto-kun!" Hinata called from the kitchen.

Naruto walked in a wide arc around Neji and made his way over to the kitchen. "So what brings you two by?" He thought he saw them exchange some quick glances but it was hard to be sure.

"Well we heard you got out of the hospital and came by to see how you're feeling," Hinata said cheerily.

Naruto looked over at Neji who simply nodded in agreement. "Uh huh," Naruto said stalling for time to think of what else to say. The last he saw Hinata he was groping her near naked body just before she ran away screaming. Now she showed up unannounced with a body guard to say 'hi'. He tried to imagine a more awkward situation but came up empty.

"So what's up with this scroll?" Hinata asked reaching for Naruto's mysterious scroll.

"Don't touch that!" Naruto yelled so fast she jumped back. Seeing the alarmed looks on their faces Naruto quickly explained the how he found the scroll and the strange effect it had on him when he tried to read it.

Hinata and Neji watched the mysterious object very carefully, "So you can pick it up and it's fine, but when you try to open it, it scares you?" Hinata asked.

Naruto got a little flustered, he didn't want her to think that he was _actually_ afraid it. "No it's not like that Hinata-chan, it's almost like a genjutsu or something I swear. Every time I start to open it I'm filled with this freakish sense of dread and fear, it's almost overpowering. I honestly don't know what I should do with it. Hey! Maybe one of you could try?"

"_He called me Hinata-chan that time,"_ she noticed.

"Oh I don't think so Naruto," Neji said. "Scrolls really aren't my area of expertise but this sounds untrustworthy, maybe you should have a specialist take a look at this."

Naruto tried to give Neji his best puppy dog eyes, "Come on Neji! You don't have to really open it just peel back the corner and see if it gives you the same creeps it gives me, there's no harm in that." The look on Neji's face gave him the distinct impression the puppy dog eyes were the wrong track.

"Naruto, don't _ever_ look at me like that again."

Hinata picked up the scroll and both boys reacted, "So I just hold it like this right?" she asked.

Naruto raced around the counter and got right behind her. "Yes just like that, now just peel open one little corner of the scroll and tell me if you feel anything strange," he said.

Neji started to protest but to his amazement a quick look from Hinata stopped him cold. Realizing what just happened Neji made a mental note to investigate women in general and figure out why they seemed so much more powerful after puberty.

The three held their breath as Hinata slowly peeled back the corner of the paper, "is this enough?" she asked.

Naruto looked from Hinata to scroll and back again with a worried expression, "Anything?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Should I open it further?"

Naruto took a step back and stared at the scroll and the stunning girl holding it, "_God she has perfect skin! I can smell her from here … Arrggh! Not now idiot get a grip! OK, how is it possible that she's not affected by the scroll? If it was a genjutsu then she should be affected just like me. If it's not a genjutsu than we're playing with the unknown and I don't want her to open it any farther and trigger some kind of trap. But even if the damn thing's booby-trapped that explains nothing as to why I'm getting singled out!_"

"No just hold it there Hinata, I want to try something." Naruto reached out with his hands and slowly closed them over Hinata's and the scroll. She could feel his sudden closeness and the heat from his presence radiated across her skin causing Hinata to blush slightly and turn her head ever so much in the blonds direction. Even without the Byakugan none of the subtle reactions were lost on Neji whose eyes narrowed and raced between the scroll to Naruto with a dangerous tilt. As his hands made contact with hers Naruto could feel Hinata move ever so slightly … _DANGER!_

"Ahhh!" Naruto yelped and yanked his hands back again. Hinata yelped in surprise at him and dropped the scroll back onto the counter.

Neji looked like he was about to pounce, "Hinata are you OK?"

She nodded quickly, "Yes I'm fine, Naruto?"

Naruto shot the scroll another dirty look, "You didn't feel that? That was the strongest one yet, stupid scroll!"

"No, I didn't feel anything at all. And you definitely felt something?" she asked. Naruto nodded vehemently. "Neji why don't you take a look at this with your Byakugan? I want to get a closer look at this."

Neji tried to protest again, he most definitely didn't want to use his Byakugan this close to Naruto. "Hinata this isn't a good idea, we really need to…"

"Neji, Naruto is our friend and we _need_ to help him OK? Just take a look," she admonished.

Naruto watched the exchange and picked up on some kind of unspoken conversation between the two. Whatever they were doing here was definitely about the other day he decided, she must not feel safe alone with him he realized a little sadly. He decided to prod her a little bit to be sure, "If Neji doesn't want to why don't you take a look Hinata-chan?" he asked.

"Oh I couldn't, I've been training extra hard lately and I need to rest my eyes," she replied. Her eyes did need some rest she figured so it wasn't a total lie. Naruto seemed satisfied with that and she handed the scroll over to an unhappy Neji, "Take a look."

Neji shot her one last annoyed glance and activated his Byakugan. Despite his better judgment he took the opportunity to chance a sideways glance at Naruto with his keki-genki and noted the blurry gold chakra. "_He looks the same as at the hospital, still totally unique of course but otherwise nothing really seems out of place, no pain either."_

The Hyuuga mentally filed away his findings and got back to the task at hand. Looking down he started scanning the mysterious scroll. Naruto and Hinata watched from the other side of the counter. "Hmmm," he mumbled. "Nothing suspicious in the casing."

Naruto shifted his weight and glanced around in curiosity, something smelled _absolutely delicious_. On instinct he followed his nose thirty degrees to the right and identified Hinata as the source of the smell. She was still focused on Neji and the scroll. "_Oh my God that's Hinata? She makes ramen smell like dog food. What the hell is this some kind of super perfume? Sniff, sniff. No, it's not perfume at all, it's just her! Holy shit how can she smell like that?!_"

"The paper is clean too," Neji announced. "Just the core is left…"

Naruto took the tiniest step closer to Hinata and drank in her heavenly nectar, he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that his eyes were rolling into the back of his head but he didn't care, the only thing he cared about was sinking into her aroma. The very thought of it sent his mind into summersaults, "_it's like ecstasy wrapped in orgasm wrapped in bacon! Sniff, sniff._ _Oh man I don't think I can stand this, she smells like, like I want to run my tongue over every inch of her supple, gorgeous body! Shit! Shit! Shit!_"

"Naruto? Why are you sniffing my cousin?"

Naruto's eyes flung open, his nose was actually touching the side of her head and he could see her staring at him out of her left eye. She looked a little nervous. He took a slow step back and straightened his shoulders trying to look as normal as humanly possible, "Uh … Your hair smells really nice, Strawberry?"

Hinata's heart was beating a thousand beats per minute, for one odd moment the knowledge of what might lie inside of Naruto had her convinced that he was going to take a bite. She was so dumbfounded that she answered before it even registered that he'd asked a question, "Irish Spring."

"Oh," he replied awkwardly. "thought it was strawberry…"

Neji was halfway across the kitchen counter and looked ready to punch Naruto in the face. "Naruto, why were you sniffing my cousin?" he growled menacingly.

Naruto turned to face the enraged man and felt about half of his wits return, "I didn't sniff your cousin."

"Yes you did, I just saw you. With my Byakugan!"

Naruto crossed his arms and looked positively indignant, "Then I would think you'd know the difference, I _smelled_ her Neji, I didn't sniff her. Geeesh."

Hinata was beside herself, a mix of excitement, fear, and shock at Naruto's odd behavior tore her in about 17 emotional directions at once. She didn't know whether to slap him, kiss him, or call for an exorcist.

Neji handed the scroll back to Naruto careful never to break eye contact, "Nothing, it's just a scroll."

"Oh," Naruto said grinning sheepishly. "Here let me just take that from you there…" Naruto tugged but Neji didn't let go.

"Neji!" Hinata scolded.

Neji let go of the scroll and gave Naruto a very unnerving grin. "It's probably time we got going anyway, glad to see you're Ok Naruto." With that the dangerous jounin walked out the front door, but Naruto knew as well as anyone that he was still being watched by the Byakugan.

Hinata followed her cousin and made it all the way to the door before she turned around, "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're Ok too. Maybe … I could buy you some ramen sometime? I thought we could talk some more."

* * *

It wasn't easy for Naruto to get to sleep, conflicting thoughts of Hinata, the Kyuubi, his parents, and about a million other little things assaulted his tired mind until late into the night. He wasn't sure exactly what time he managed to get to sleep but whatever time it was one thing was clear, it definitely way too early to woken up by Jiraiya's ugly mug.

"What kind of ninja are you?!" the hyperactive sannin bellowed. "Get your ass out of bed, the Hokage wants to see you!"

Naruto groaned loudly hiding underneath his pillow and asked his _mother_ for another ten minutes, what he got was 2.3 seconds and a water jutsu. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Why do you always have to use freezing cold water?" Naruto whined ringing out his pajamas.

Jiraiya turned his nose up at his pupils hurtful expression and shrugged. "You're a leaf nin, next time get up when you're told you big baby. Besides, the Ice Wave is the only water jutsu I can remember this time of morning."

Giving his sensei one last dirty look Naruto started flinging his soaked clothing off and headed toward the bathroom. "Instead of perving on me why don't you check out the little present I left you in the kitchen?" He called out disappearing around the corner.

"Don't flatter yourself kid!" Jiraiya called back grinning, his insults were getting better. He wandered over to the counter and found it bare save one lonely looking scroll casing. He picked up the tube and popped out of the scroll itself, it certainly wasn't new but it wasn't the oldest looking scroll he'd ever seen either. A quick jerk revealed an expansive blank surface and a frown, "I've got plenty of blanks smart ass!"

"I'm not so sure it's blank." Naruto responded entering the room fully changed.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama? You wanted to see me?" Naruto asked peaking his head in the door.

Tsunade looked up from her ever present pile of paperwork and smiled, _anything_ was better than reading through this crap. As if Shinobi activities were the primary cause of deforestation in fire country! Honestly it amazed her to no end the kind of bullshit the Hokage had to deal with.

"Yes, yes, come in Naruto and take a seat," she said sweetly motioning him in.

The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck stood up, he knew better than to trust Tsunade sounding sweet. A familiar chair sat in the center of her office looking just like he remembered leaving it, of course if his last visit to this office was any indication that could have been four or five chairs ago. A quick check revealed an identical chair sitting in the corner behind the door where most visitors probably never noticed it, not good. "Uh, I'll just stand thanks," he said nervously. Entering the room he noticed something else was off, a weird smell that seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Tsunade caught his distraction and slammed her hands against the solid mahogany desk with a loud bang, "Well I'm glad to see you're feeling better, so well in fact that you checked yourself out of the damn hospital via the second story window!"

Naruto flinched but instinctively tried not to break eye contact because in truth his attention was being forcefully yanked elsewhere, "_Are her breasts still bouncing from hitting the desk? How the hell do they do that? And were they always that big? NO! What the hell are you doing you freak? Do not look at the Hokages breasts!_" he told himself.

"Well? Do have anything to say for yourself?!" Tsunade demanded angrily.

Naruto shook his head so hard his neck cracked, "What? Oh! No Hokage-sama, I'm sorry I left the hospital like that but … I was feeling much better when I woke up and I can't stand those places when I'm not sick you know?" he confessed trying to look as innocent as possible.

She tried to yell again but that sheepish look zapped the anger right out of her, not many people spent as much time in the hospital as poor Naruto. It was something she'd hoped he'd outgrown but pushing his limits and never backing down from anything where two traits that he didn't seem to have lost on his trip. The tired Hokage let out a big sigh and threw herself back into the chair. "Fine, just don't do it again," she said waving her hand dismissively.

Naruto's eye twitched slightly, "_Oh my god! The way they move, it's like they're two seconds behind the rest of her body._ _Imagine what they look like when they're exposed …_"

"Well anyway there were actually two reasons I wanted to call you in here, the first is the cause of your little _accident_ on the training fields, I've already talked to Kakashi about what happened and I know you pushed your limits on purpose … you want to explain that?" Tsunade asked raising an eyebrow.

Naruto's brain quickly shifted gears and he blushed uncomfortably trying to avoid her gaze, he'd already beat himself up over this. It was stupid and impatient and he knew it, and of course Kakashi-sensei deciphered everything including his motives from fifty feet away as per usual. Trying to hide anything around that guy was nearly impossible, Naruto made a mental note right there and then find out what his secret was, or buy his own mask. "It was a stupid move, I'm sorry I did it and it won't happen again. I still can't believe I put Kakashi-sensei in danger like that … fuck!"

"Watch the mouth, and try not to forget about the danger you put yourself in!" she admonished.

But inwardly she was more than just a little impressed, "_He's more upset about Kakashi, good to see he hasn't changed in that way. You're like your father in more than just the looks department Naruto. Luckily no one got hurt and this guilt should be more than enough to keep you careful for now._"

"Good, I'm glad you understand your mistake. Because if you didn't I was going to have to hold you back from the chuunin exams next week," she said smiling in satisfaction at the horrified look that crept across his face. "But you seemed to have learned your lesson."

_Sniff, Sniff._ Damn there it was again, what the hell was that? He didn't want to be rude to Tsunade-sama and look away but for some reason the source of that strange new scent was simply commanding his attention. Without actually moving his eyes Naruto scanned his peripheral vision looking for the source of the strange smell. During his trip he'd learned how to actually focus in and observe details in what was normally the ignored outer edges of his vision. It was one of those skills he and his sensei disagreed on heartily at first. It didn't help that Jiraiya introduced the skill as his 'knocker stare jutsu'. Naruto swore to the moon and back that he would never sink so low but the insistent sannin demanded Naruto learn it on the grounds that when he eventually _did_ start staring at women's breasts the handy technique would keep him and by proxy Jiraiya, out of trouble. He refused for a quite a while until the old pervert finally convinced him that the skill could be useful for loads of actual mission related activities and not just staring at women's breasts. As far as Naruto knew this was the first time it had been used for a legitimate purpose.

"Something wrong Naruto?"

"No nothing," he lied. "You said there was something else?"

"Why yes in fact there is one more thing," she replied with a huge grin. The over endowed Hokage put her arms at her sides and puffed out her chest for emphasis. "It just so happens that I have something very special for you young mister Namikaze, _two_ very special something's to be precise."

Naruto's momentary distraction of guilt at the events of the day before vanished at the sight of Tsunade's _emphasis_. He knew it was wrong but it was like there were two bison fighting for dominance beneath the poor abused fabric of her shirt and he couldn't tear his attention away despite himself. "Two … very special something's?" he asked nervously.

"Oh you better believe it, most men would die to get their hands on these, and many have …" she whispered in a low tone teasing him. A quick look at his stony face had the woman struggling not a bust a gut laughing, she was having no end of fun dragging the moment out. When would she ever get another chance to do something like this anyway?

Naruto's brain was working overdrive trying to sort through the multitude of sensory inputs vying for his immediate attention. The thick, seductive aroma was continuing its intrusion into his consciousness and he still had no idea what it was! Tsunade didn't seem to notice at all based on her expression but then again he hadn't looked at her _face_ in the last two minutes. "_If I didn't know any better I'd swear someone slipped me some sake! Did she just say something? And why the hell am using Ero-Sennin's technique to stare at her knockers all the sudden? Stupid Jiraiya! Stupid knockers!_"

"Well? Don't you want to see them?" she asked coyly.

Naruto swallowed hard, somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that she had to be having a different conversation than the one he was hearing, there was simply no way she could be talking about what it _sounded like_ she was talking about. "_She's old enough to be my moth … grandmother!_" he told himself desperately. "_Just act normal and everything will be OK,_" Naruto slowly shook his head up and down.

A devilish grin crossed Tsunade's face, "Well then what are we waiting for? Personally I can't wait to see what you do with them, just let me get these out for you," she said bending down in her chair and reaching for something near the floor.

Now Tsunade knew that her 'endowments' were the source of more than one man's fantasies and thus made sure that her shirt was always tightly secured to avoid any unwanted wardrobe malfunctions, especially during (God forbid) combat! That said she also learned at a very young age how she could put the way men leered at her to her advantage, so the cagey kunoichi made sure that she didn't cover up her assets too much either. It was a bit of a balancing act as it were, show too much and she'd lose respect from both the men and many of the women she commanded, show not enough and lose one of her favorite and often most effective weapons. And besides, what was the fun in being this blasted if she never got to knock the random chump unconscious with a nosebleed? In the end she settled on a two piece shirt that held each breast separately and tied off in the back. The garment fit all her criteria, it showed some cleavage but not too much, and it held secure and provided some protection for fighting. And of course the way she wore it allowed her to move and twist in such a way that a _whole lot_ would be hanging out when she so desired.

Unfortunately for them both it was an accident this particular time and it took most of Naruto's remaining self control not to choke and soon as she bent down, the way the fabric concealing her legendary mounds parted gave Naruto the most complete view of her body he'd ever imagined or in this particular case, dreaded beyond belief.

Naruto's mind started filling with what had to be the most disturbing mental images to date, and started praying fervently that she didn't look up and see his eyes rolling back into his head. "_Oh shit … Please straighten up, please straighten up!_" he pleaded with her silently. "_I don't know how much more of this I can take._"

Tsunade tried to open the lower drawer on her desk but to her dismay found the stubborn thing wouldn't budge. "Damn thing open up," she commanded giving it a gentle tug.

Naruto flinched, the drawer didn't move when she tugged on it but something else sure did … "_Oh dear God they're still swinging!"_

"Stupid antique crap," she muttered under her breath. She gave the insolent drawer another solid tug jerking the desk and her own body in the process.

Naruto's leg started twitching.

"Just one second Naruto the stupid thing's stuck," she said not bothering to look up. "Come on!" she spat trying a side to side jiggle.

He sent command after command telling his eyes to close but they adamantly refused, opting instead to record every minuet detail of Tsunade's vast, sweat sheened breasts rocking and undulating with every jerk and tug. Stifling a groan the boiling genin took a page from his genjutsu training and bit into his own lip trying to break the spell his Hokage was unintentionally casting.

Tsunade had lost her patience. "Open up you piece of shit!" she yelled and started yanking up and down against the handle furiously. After twenty seconds the jammed thing finally unstuck and flew open revealing the object of her search. Grabbing the article in question the victorious Sannin sat straight up and held the prize high, "I GOT THEM! Do you have any idea how hard that is for me not to break the … Naruto? Where'd you go?"

Tsunade jumped up in dismay only to find her young subordinate on floor at the foot of her desk, "Naruto!"

* * *

"_COLD!_" Naruto bolted upright to find himself covered in freezing water. The shocked genin immediately locked onto an image of Shizune holding a suspiciously empty bucket and very smug looking grin.

"Shizune! What the heck is going … Tsunade!" he yelled looking around quickly. He was slightly relieved to see a smiling Hokage standing over him. If she was in a good mood than she must not have noticed _why_ he passed out.

"Geeez Naruto, I never took you for the excitable type, the way you passed out would have made Hinata proud," she grinned. His wits fully restored Naruto also spotted a giggling Sakura in the background and Tsunade followed his eyes. "Get back to work you letch!" Tsunade snarled and watched in satisfaction as the pick haired girl spun and ran out of the room. Turning back around she could see the question in Naruto's eyes, "Too much time around that pervert Kakashi if you ask me, it's a wonder you turned out at all."

Naruto was about to ask her just what she meant by that when his voice was cut off by two surprisingly strong yet petite hands pinching his cheeks. "Tsunade …" Shizune protested with a pout. "How can you say that to poor cute little Naruto-kun here?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Quit flirting already girl, if you want this one you're going to have to get in line." She watched in amusement as both Shizune and Naruto blushed a deep red and jumped apart.

Shizune tried her best to look indignant, "I wasn't flirting I was just giving him a hard time!"

"Uh huh, tell it to the judge, now why don't you give lover boy and me a second so I can finish our talk," Tsunade replied. With a gasp and another blush the embarrassed Kunoichi tossed Naruto an undecipherable look and marched out of the room. "Naruto, you know that you're way too much like your father right?"

Naruto shook off his own blush and reviewed the question in his head to make sure he got that right, "What do you mean? I thought that was a good thing."

Tsunade gave Naruto an look that somehow managed to combine slightly amused and deadly serious. "I mean that your father was a real heart breaker with the ladies is what. That damn guy had girls falling all over him no matter what he did, and it looks like you've inherited his charisma. Try not to abuse the power OK?"

"_Shizune likes me too?_" he wondered in amazement.

"But that's not all you inherited, and if you think you can stay awake long enough I'd like to give you something else your father left for you," she said.

Naruto looked up at her and nodded, whatever sent him into that hormonal rage earlier seemed defeated by his impromptu bath. "So you did find something in the Hokage vaults then?" he asked.

She nodded the affirmative to his deduction. "They were originally left in your family's vault but Sarutobi wisely had them moved the day he died. If he hadn't I'm sure they would have been stolen by now. There's only two of them but still, it's part of your legacy and a treasure beyond anything if you could ever learn how to use them." She held out her hand and offered a piece of cloth wrapped around whatever it was.

Naruto reached out and took hold of the package like it was made of fine china, for a reason he couldn't identify he looked up at Tsunade for permission. "Go ahead," she nodded. One fold at a time Naruto opened the package to reveal a set of two incredible kunai the likes of which he'd never seen before. Picking one up he inspected the weapon turning it over in his hands, the metal seemed to reflect the light with wisps of blue like fire itself made up part of the blade. The standard center blade was flanked by two smaller ones rising at forty five degree angles and the handle was wrapped in some kind of sturdy cloth emblazoned with an elegant seal he couldn't make out despite his training with Jiraiya.

"What are they?" he finally asked.

"Those are two of your father's Hirashin kunai Naruto, as far as I know the rest have been destroyed," she said.

He tore his eyes away from the weapon and gave her a questioning look, "Hirashin?"

Now it was Tsunade's turn to look surprised, "You don't know what the Hirashin is?" Naruto shook his head no. "Have you ever heard of Konoha's Yellow Flash?" Again he didn't. "Well, I guess we have a lot to talk about then don't we?"

* * *

Naruto left the Hokage's office in a daze, he knew that his father was considered one of the greatest shinobi in the village's history but this! He'd spent three years building up the body flicker to a point of combat usefulness but even he wouldn't use it against a jounin opponent outside of sparring, there were just too many ways to exploit it. But the jutsu his father developed rose above all of those weaknesses and even helped the man change the course of an entire war by his own hand! Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the idea, fighting two or three enemies was hard enough but his father regularly slew ten, twenty, or more experienced shinobi almost single handedly. And now half of his father's lost jutsu lay in his hands, "_Is the rest still out there or did it die with him?"_ He wondered.

The most obvious place would have been the family vault of course but these kunai were the only thing removed by the third and anything else she told him grimly would have already been sorted through by those seeking to steal the 4th's legendary techniques. There was no proof of course and the vault looked secure the day Naruto moved into the house, but it was logical to assume that if the 3rd could gain access than so could another powerful shinobi. There was still the issue of those weird scrolls as well but Neji had already confirmed they were blank and now Ero-Sennin had one so that was just a matter of time.

Walking home slowly Naruto became aware of something else prickling at the edge of his senses, a _delicious_ smell was wafting by. For the briefest of moments he thought he was smelling his favorite ramen but that wasn't possible he realized, Ichiraku's was on the other side of town. "_Oh no! This smells a lot like in Tsunade's office…_" Feeling immediately uneasy Naruto started walking quickly and noted with some comfort that the smell seemed to be past.

Lost in his thoughts he never saw the poor woman he nearly knocked over. "I'm so sorry!" he started to bluster catching an eyeful of the attractive young brunette. But he froze up immediately when another glorious aroma blasted his olfactory senses. "_Holy shit what is it now?!"_ The young woman stood up and slapped him soundly across the face and stormed straight past the stunned Naruto. The slap brought him a step closer to reality and he turned around to watch her walk away, and the way her hips swayed back and forth ever so seductively with each lively stride … "Wait, where'd the smell go?"

"_Oh my God! Hinata, then Tsunade, then her, I'm smelling women!_" he realized with a shock. "_But how is that possible unless … _" Naruto soared away in the direction of his apartment as fast as he could manage, it was time for another visit.

* * *

"Didn't have to come here for almost a year and now it's two times in as many days," Naruto mumbled looking around the passageways of his mindscape. Of course considering his last visit here he realized that this might not be the best of ideas but this really wasn't something he could just let go. If he was right the fox and he had a few issues they needed work out.

"I know you know I'm here, could you quit ignoring me for a second?" he yelled out into the darkness. He wanted to sound firm yet respectful, the demon was still too unpredictable to tempt fate just quite yet. After what seemed like forever the fox apparently reached the end of his patience first.

"**Unless you're here to inform me of our new heir there's nothing to discuss,"** the now familiar voice boomed out.

"Yeah about that, is it just my imagination or did you … _ALTER_ me in some little way you might have forgotten to mention?"Naruto asked the ceiling. The distinct sound of a 50 ton fox chuckling drifted through the murky corridors.

"**I thought you might need some additional motivation considering your track record,"**the Kyuubi offered.

"My track record! Why of all the … I'll have you know my track record is just fine thank you very much!" Naruto yelled back with complete indignity.

"**You think me a fool puny human? Three years with that disgusting letch of a Sannin and never once did you pursue a woman. He even brought you a few on occasion but would you partake? Of course not, you were too good weren't you? And then instead of allowing either one of us to enjoy the experience I was forced to sit and listen while that toad mated with his and yours! You're pathetic."**

Naruto was aghast, he and the bastard fox shared a long history of mutual hate, distrust, and an expansive repertoire of insults. But never had the fox cut so low nor assaulted his manhood on this level. Then again, what was he complaining about?

"What do mean _you had to listen_? That was me! I was the one who had to sit and listen to that pervert flopping around while you were sealed up safe and sound!" he hollered.

"**Safe and sound? I see what you see, I hear what you hear, and I **_**heard**_** the entire disgusting episode. Do you have any idea how frustrating that was? It's been **_**SEVENTEEN YEARS**_**!"**

"Oh my God," Naruto mumbled, a horrible realization creeping across his face. "Are you saying that if I have sex that you … you have sex too!"

"**We're getting off topic, none of this is important. What is important is our deal, or have you forgotten?"**

"But you did something to me! That's not fair, you altered the deal!"

"**Pray I don't alter it any further."** came the terse reply.

Naruto pulled his hair in frustration, he was playing poker against the dealer here and there wasn't much he could do. Somehow he was going to have to find some leverage on the damn furball but that would have to wait. For now he would just have to resort to whining!

"Look I _swear_ I'm going to get this done for you OK? But you've got to undo whatever it was you did to me. Do you have any idea what kind of sick fantasies just ran through my head earlier about the woman I used to call Baachan?!" he yelled.

"**Wow, you have issues human."**

"I don't have issues, you gave me issues!"

"**I gave you an increased sensitivity to your own species pheromones and nothing more, don't blame me if you want to mate with your Baachan,"** the demon teased.

"You son of a bitch!"

A great sigh rolled across Naruto with enough force to knock him from his feet. **"I'm fox you idiot, not a dog. And with that brilliant commentary …"**

Naruto's eyes flew open with a start, "That no good low down shit eating bastard son of a … _SOMETHING_! " The Kyuubi just kicked him out of his own mind.

* * *

The mighty demon leaned back and relaxed to reflect, or least it seemed like he leaned back and relaxed. Not having a body for seventeen years even he was beginning to forget what leaning back and relaxing _actually_ felt like, but still it was one of those old habits he'd been unable to shed. But even so he mused, the attempt somehow managed to bring a measure of comfort similar to the real thing.

But if his unexpected visit from his container was any indication, there was plenty to worry about. Along with everything else that seemed to be going wrong on a daily basis now the little monk was stalling!

"_What an irritating turn of events, for him to stumble across those scrolls just as I set him on his mission!_ _Even this idiot is bound to start piecing together what's happening eventually, it would seem that stimulating his limbic system was a good idea after all. The more dopamine his brain accumulates the less control he'll have until finally he abandons all reason and mates with the nearest female whether she likes it or not, poor thing."_ The mighty kitsune imagined he shuttered at the thought.

No, the containers morals would only hold up for so long even though he was now aware of what was happening, it was just a matter of time. And by the time anyone was able to sort out what was wrong it should be too late, far too late.

Satisfied the demon turned his thoughts back to their conversation in amusement. "_I still can't believe he's going to fight me on this …"_

* * *

**Authors Notes:** Anybody catch the line from Star Wars?

So as promised I'm starting to reveal pieces of the puzzle instead of creating more, hope that makes for some interesting material :) With this update I'll be getting close to 70,000 words! Wow, I never thought I'd hit anything like that when I started, just crazy. Anyways I've set an unofficial target of about 100K words for this story so it's time to build towards a conclusion, but the way things are going I'm thinking 120K is more likely, wheeew!

As some have also noticed I'm slowing down on my updates as well, that's probably going to continue as I take on 1 or perhaps 2 other stories and life starts to get in the way as well. In fact I'm headed out for vacation a few days after publishing this chapter. Yeah for me! :)

And thanks again for the reviews and support!


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